unlikely lady of leisure

The Big Move

2011-01-11T17:13:00.000+08:00

I’ve finally done it! I’ve got a new home for my blog. I don’t really like how it looks at the moment, but there’s time enough for customisation. Right now, I’m just happy to be able to get on with updates! Yippie!!

Of course most of you would know, the main highlight these last few weeks is that I’ve delivered! But the little one just woke from a nap so I need to attend to him first. Watch this space! :)

Rambling

2010-12-23T00:49:00.008+08:00

I think I may never get around to updating everything, so I'll just ramble off some of the things that have been happening in the last couple of weeks.

We celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary by running some errands and doing Christmas shopping. Our aim was to finish all our shopping before I deliver. It may be an everyday thing for a lot of people, but having a whole day to hang out, just the two of us, is something Jon and I don't get to do that often. It turned out that our anniversary took on an 'old school' theme by accident. It started with lunch at Wishbone, a restaurant that's been around since I was a little girl. My Mum had a cooked food stall opposite, and between plucking tao gay and picking tau suan, my brother and I would hop over to buy ice-cream from Happy Kappy, their dessert arm.

Dinner was at Shashlik, a Russian restaurant at Far East Shopping Centre. It's a place with special meaning for us cos Jon once brought me there for a surprise dinner. It was one of those times that he really really managed to surprise me :) Things haven't changed at all in the intervening nine years. The place looks the same, and the food was just as good. The Borsch was heavenly and the Shashlik, of course, was great too. As for dessert, we just couldn't resist ordering the ever indulgent baked Alaska. How things have changed for us personally though. We're now married with one kid, and one more on the way!

Day 2 of our wedding anniversay (our wedding was spread over 2 days, so we have an excuse to celebrate more!), we had lunch at the chicken rice stall on the top floor of Far East Plaza - another old school joint. Somewhere we both went to as students.

For me it felt like we were dating all over again, and it was just sweet and romantic in an everyday, ordinary way :)

Now that we're both on leave too, we've been settling stuff in the day while Asher's at school. We haven't had so many afternoons out together since we were students! So we caught Narnia, and I'm hoping to catch the sneak of Gulliver's Travels tomorrow.

As for Asher, he's settled very well into his new school. Although initially he'd protest a bit when I left, now he walks off to join his friends and blows us kisses as we head off :) He always seems to happy when we pick him up, and I love how he runs to us to greet us with a big big hug :) Things really took a turn for the better when Jon started dropping off and picking up Asher together with me. I think that helped him adjust more quickly. I was worried that if I continued to drop/pick Asher alone, when Baby comes Asher would feel abandoned or neglected if I suddenly stopped sending him to school. So these last 2 weeks we've been doing it together, and it has come to the point where Asher's ok even if Jon picked him up by himself.

Jon's been more hands on these last two weeks at home, and that has helped me lots, and is great for Asher. From helping with laundry to bathing Asher when I need a rest. Asher's now even closer to Jon, and it's evidenced by requests from Asher for Daddy to read to him, even though storytime is usually done by Mummy. I'm really happy to see them bonding :)

Asher's also eating SO much better. I was reading up on picky eating sometime last month, and found that kids who are not pressured to eat end up getting all the nutrients they need anyway. I think that perhaps in my anxiety about his weight loss and his poor food in-take, I was unconsciously making meal times stressful for him. I decided to let go, to not press for him to "take another bite", to just offer him a wide variety of healthy options and let him pick when he wants to eat from that selection. I decided to let him be in charge of his intake, afterall they say breastfed kids know how to regulate their food intake well. And the results were quick and satisfying. Within a day or two he was eating more, and he started drinking milk again (yes, he had rejected even that! At it's worst, he could go an entire day with less than 200ml of milk and just 2 tablespoons of rice!). He now generally eats heartily, even though there are some meals where he just picks at the food. But that's ok. I've come to be very zen about it, especially cos I now adopt the mindset that it's just one of many meals in a week. He's still more of a vegetarian/fruitarian, not liking to eat meat that much, but I've found a pretty decent list of almost full-proof food that he'll take, some of these he ate even during his picky phase. Some things are, well, fast-food, but I've also come to think that if he will eat it, let him be. It's still food afterall. At home offer him the healthier stuff, outside, close one eye.

So here's the list: all fruits, veg (esp carrots and corn), my bolognaise sauce, fish fingers, chicken nuggets, egg tofu, rice (esp if he helped to cook it), roti prata, tortillas, eggs (in one form or another - but you must give it to him in the form he wants or he won't eat it), and the KFC breakfast platter (he esp likes the biscuits).  Besides these, the cuisine that seems to work almost all the time is Indian food. So far, he has without fail (to my memory at least) eaten well whenever we have Indian food. Roti prata is one case in point. He will happily munch on egg prata, and sometimes even dips it into the curry. He loves briyani rice, he eats dahl curry, has munched up palak paneer (a mild spinach and cheese curry) with gusto, likes vegetable korma, eats dosai and apun jala (pancakes which look like spider webs), and enjoys papadum no end. I think he likes their stronger flavours, and I'm not surprised, given how much Indian and Malay food I ate when I was pregnant and breastfeeding.

So it was a very happy Selena tonight as we left Samy's curry. He ate very well, eating half a good sized piece of dry curried fish (he actually ate fish without me having to sneak it in!), dahl with briyani, papadum, and a cup of mixed fruit (this is something I didn't know they offered until today!). I have always liked going to Samy's curry, and we've brought him there before, but tonight I left thinking, "I love Samy's!". The staff are always so friendly to him, saying hi as they walk by. He likes having his own banana leaf to eat off, free flow of papadum and dahl, fab lime juice, and now there's even fruits to end the meal!! And for the parents - great teh tarik too :)

We weighed him tonight, and I was very surprised and happy to see that he's finally broken 12! He's 12.4 kg!! What a vast improvement from a month ago when he fell back into the 10 range!

So I'm very very happy to see Asher happy at home, at school, at meals. He's really been a jolly fellow these few weeks with Mummy and Daddy being available to him. I hope it keeps up when Baby comes, and when Jon goes back to work.

Speaking of Baby, we've decided on the name already, but we'll keep it under wraps until he arrives.  Asher's been refering to Baby by his name for the last several months, and I suppose we can't change it now else he'd be so confused when Baby is introduced with a different name. Anyway, it's a name we like very much, and in fact was the first name we considered many many months ago when I was about 3-4 months pregnant. We deliberated several others in the last few months, but nothing quite sat as well with us. Anyway, I'll elaborate more on the name when Baby arrives.

Asher's been very sweet though. He talks about Baby as part of the family.  A few days ago when playing with blocks he built a house for Baby. He has also in his new school played with a baby doll, and called it by Baby's name. He carried the doll, brought it for a stroll around the room in a stroller, fed him milk, and included him in storytime :) (I've some pics, will see if I can upload when I move to a new site.) He says that Baby loves him, and he loves Baby. I just hope that this good feeling keeps up!

I've been getting him prepared for the arrival of the little one. Asher chose to give a toy to Baby, and he's picked out which toy. He knows I'm going to be in hospital for two days, and he'll stay with Por Por. He knows it tiring to deliver and Mummy might be sleeping a lot after. And the most recent piece of info I've introduced is that Mummy doesn't know when Baby is coming. Only God/Jesus knows. I realised I had to tell him this last piece of info too in case Baby comes in the middle of the night and we're not around in the morning when he wakes up! Right now Asher's not the most reliable predictor of when Baby will come. Every time I ask him whether Baby is coming before or after Christmas the answer changes :)

And as for Christmas, I can't wait! :) Where will I be celebrating it? At home? At a friend's house? In hospital? Let's just see how it goes!

Gotta Move!

2010-12-11T01:02:00.003+08:00

So...I finally had a little bit of time to try and upload some pics and post some updates. Then I realised that my blogspot account has run out of photo space! Gonna search around for a new home. Thinking of wordpress cos there's 3GBs worth of space there, compared to 1GB here. Plus, I can move all my old posts over too!

But it'll all have to wait for another time when I'm more free.

Still busy busy! Finishing up work, weekly gynae appointments now, settling baby stuff, Christmas shopping, sorting out the house, etc, etc, etc.

Busy Busy

2010-12-03T23:51:00.000+08:00

There's lots to update!

I've been busier than ever, at work and at home. Trying to settle everything at work before I go on maternity leave, but new work has foiled some of my winding down plans. Then took Asher out of his old school early cos there were several cases of HFMD, and I didn't want him contracting it, especially since he was gonna be moving to a new school soon. Didn't want him bringing any viruses over. Then needed to take leave to help Asher adjust to his new school. It's only day 3, but so far seems ok. The new place has a similar routine to his old school, so he's pretty used to that schedule. He occasionally still talks about his friends from the old school, which is quite sad for me since I know he's not going back. I always wonder what he's really thinking in his head.

Anyway, here's a run down of what we've been doing. If I've time I'll update on them in more detail (will be back-dated).

7 Nov: Josiah's Birthday
12 Nov: Asher's Birthday in School
13 Nov: Asher's Birthday @ Loewen Gardens
14 Nov: Asher's Birthday @ Charlie's Corner
14-16 Nov: Changi Village Staycation
17 Nov: Reuben & Cindy's Wedding - Asher was a page boy!
18 Nov: SSO's Baby Proms
27 Nov: Bob the Builder @ West Coast Plaza
28 Nov: Thomas @ Millenia
30 Nov: Swim date at Sentosa
1 Dec: Asher's new school
3 Dec: Walking with Dinosaurs

whew.

Let me first settle the downloading of pics to my comp!

Turning 2 at Changi

2010-11-14T23:20:00.000+08:00

These were the last pics I managed to squeeze onto my blog.

We celebrated Asher birthday with family at Charlie's Corner in Changi Village. Our Changi stay was planned to coincide with his birthday, so we thought it'd be convenient to celebrate it somewhere in the area. Plus, my Mum really likes the pork chops there :)

The highlight for Asher and Aidan were the car/bike rides available just next to our dinner spot. They started on the individual bikes, and later shared a car ride. It amazed me how quickly they both got the hang of riding the bikes. And the uncle operating the rides said that almost all parents were surprised! The kids he sees all apparently take to the rides really quickly. He kept repeating in Mandarin how you must just give them a chance to do it, and they will amaze you. They did! After just a short while they were both independently biking around the circuit. But, there was one thing that highlighted that they were still just very young toddlers - they were easily distracted. When an aeroplane flew by they'd go, "AEROPLANE!", forgetting to watch where they were going. That's when we had to step in to prevent them from crashing into the curb/cones :) Anyway, the uncle said that some of the older kids he sees can probably reverse park better than their parents! :)

Happily biking on his own

Going for a spin in the car. Aidan is really good with machines. After a while he figured out how to steer the car and brake too! Asher just enjoyed his joy ride :)

A small blackforest cake. Predicted (rightly) that we'd all be too full after dinner :)

Whaley Bouncy Birthday @ Loewen Gardens

2010-11-13T23:01:00.260+08:00

I had been prepping Asher for a while by repeatedly telling him about the event, so he knew that he was having a party that day.

It was held at The Pantry @ Loewen Gardens, and the invite list was the same as last year :) Besides his very dear cousins, there were the playmates he meets more often who are basically the second generation of Mummy and Daddy's long-time friends. It was nice that more of the kids (and parents) could come this time around :)

Think The Pantry suited our needs very well. We wanted somewhere fun for the kids, somewhere with nice food (good coffee was a bonus!), and somewhere not too far from our place. It worked out well, I think, with the children occupying themselves at the many play spaces, the adults seemed to enjoy the food, the cake which the cafe made was delicious, and we even had an impromptu post-party of sorts at the trampoline. And at the end of all that, no cleaning up to do!! Yippie!

Didn't really deliberately set out to have a whaley theme. It kind of just fell into place. Whales are one of the creatures that Asher really likes, and basically his party centred around what he liked. He liked the place the last time we went there, he likes whales (among other things), and whatever was in the party pack he also personally liked. Yes, he really liked what was in the party packs. After packing them the night before, I had put them in bags on the floor all ready to be picked up and brought along. In the morning, Asher didn't come to wake me as usual, but I awoke to the sound of rustling plastic bags and realised he was rummaging through the party packs! He wanted to take everything!! He wanted to keep the water squirters, to play with the aeroplanes, to blow the bubbles....he didn't get around to seeing the cookies or he'd ask to eat them I'm sure, and if he saw the stickers, he'd probably have peeled them off already.

I extracted him from the treasure and told him it was for his friends, but he didn't want to accept that. Somehow in the end, I can't remember how, we managed to distract him, and at the party we covered the party packs in case he refused to have them be given away :) Yes, like I said. He really really likes the stuff in there.

Prepared some noise makers or 'shakers' for the kids to decorate. It was quite a hilarious process to make them though. I had put some beans inside the folded paper plates to help create the noise, then glued it close. After making the first one I happily beamed at Jon and said, "Ta Da!" while shaking it. It make noise for two shakes...then silence....the glue hadn't dried...my beans got stuck to the side!!! So I had to quickly pry open the plate again and try to stuff in more beans. But cos it was half glued shut, I had a little bit of difficulty holding the plate flat, with the result of having more beans get stuck to the side! But in the end managed to get some in the middle. Then I left it alone to dry :)

The second try, I thought I left the plate long enough to dry, but again, after two to three shakes...silence!! Scrambled to get more beans inside again. Decided to not shake any of the rest until the next morning, just to be sure! :))

All ready for the guests to arrive. Those yellow balloons didn't last beyond 30mins. Either cos some burst, or cos they were hijacked by the kids. But that was the whole intention anyway, for the kids to play with the balloons, and not just be decor :)

Lots of spaces for playing

Checking out the Christmas decor

The giant cake. The owner of the cafe, Jane, told me that it was a 12 inch cake. But she didn't say how high! I generally like savory food more so I found the icing much too sweet for me, but the chocolate sponge was really good, and by the end of the day I had eaten wayyy too many slices of cake.

Gathered the kids together in the hope of getting a group shot, but in the end could only get 6 of the 7 on the sofa

More play spaces

The start of the post-party trampoline fun

Fun with adults

Even more fun with no adults!

Group hug!

Tao pok!

Getting tired

This was super fun. Emma's Dad went under the trampoline and pushed the kids up with his legs, making them fly! The kids had no idea what was happening and why they were flying cos the bottom of the trampoline was opaque, but they absolutely LOVED it! :)

Taking a break

Post post-party!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Asher, I love you more than you know. You bring me so much joy, and I feel so blessed to have you in my life. You have taught me many many things by what you notice, what you say, and I have loved all our little excursions together. You enjoy going to the zoo, to the beach, to the Botanic Gardens. You absolutely adore running through fountains. You love the playground - in school when it's time to go to the playground you always eagerly shout "outdoor!". You are very observant, and often spot little things that I don't even notice, like the way some animals move and tiny aeroplanes in the night-time sky. You love books, and you enjoy reading together very much. Your memory also often amazes me, like how you rememered what the fat penguins did on Philips Island, how the rhino in the zoo looked at you, what characters are in your books, etc. You are also getting cheekier and chattier, and I love getting an insight into what goes through your mind.

You are such great company, lots of fun, very sweet, sensitive, and loving. Caring for you has not been without it's difficulties, but the love and happiness you bring more than out-weigh all that. I love you for who you are. I am so amazed by how much you've grown, how much you've changed, how much you've developed, and I can only thank God for all this. Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Celebrating 2 in School

2010-11-12T22:56:00.073+08:00

We celebrated Asher's birthday in school two days early since his birthday fell on a Sunday. Got some small party favours for his classmates which he happily shared out one-by-one, then had a simple cake cutting session at their tea time.

I ordered an agar-agar cake because some of his classmates can't take dairy. With a regular cake, they'd miss out on the fun. Thought the cake was really cute and I was a little bit afraid that Asher may not want to cut it. He sometimes gets upset when something gets cut up or broken, and he will keep asking for it to be put back together, even though sometimes it's utterly impossible, e.g., if you broke a cookie in half, or already sliced a fruit...how do you put it back together? A new cookie will not do. That broken cookie must be put back together. Having had several run-ins with this idiosyncracy, which hits at the most unexpected times, I really was a little concerned that it'd surface in school.

BUT

Thank goodness that wasn't the case at all. In fact, he acted completely different from what I expected. He happily slashed away at poor Cookie Monster! Hacking and slashing and cutting! I had to stop him after a while to make sure we could actually cut the cake into proper pieces to give out. I guess the feeling of cutting agar-agar can be quite interesting - firm yet soft, smooth, and not messy at all. And after cutting, the line seems to disappear somewhat.

Anyway, the cake was yummy. Not the mushy type of agar-agar. It was firm with a slight crunch. And very fragrant too. Will definitely order from this lady again :)

C is for Cookie!

Slashing away

Not the most flattering photo for me, but it was our only family pic

Think this is the school's usual birthday set-up. Thought it was grand for a little boy to sit at the head of such a large table!

After everyone had their (second, third, and even fourth!) serving of cake, Asher asked to cut Cookie Monster again. I relented and let him have a go, which resulted in Cookie Monster's very injured eye. My friend commented that it looked like Cookie Monster got into a gang fight!

It was simple and enjoyable. I'm glad we did it for him :)

Birthday on Sesame Street

2010-11-07T22:48:00.084+08:00

Josiah's birthdays continue to be well thought out with lots of effort put into the theme. Kudos to Jo for all her effort! Last year it was Superman, this year, it's Sesame Street :)

Aren't these just great?

Jo even baked muffins and decorated them the Sesame Street characters

Asher decided to come as Cookie Monster (he chose from Elmo, Ernie and Cookie Monster), so I helped him make a prop of a half-eaten cookie. He went on to make a few more cookies with colourful chocolate chips. They were meant for Josiah, who very politely used the plate for his cookie even though it was really meant for playing with :)

Ernie & Cookie Monster munching on cookies together

We were the earliest to arrive and the two boys had a good time playing. It's great watching kids this age play together cos they interact so much more, and I especially love when their adorable antics rub-off on one another. Whether it's climbing up and down the stairs while making some funny noise, tap-tap-tapping their feet as quickly as they can on the steps, or playing catching through the tunnel, it's just so so fun and heart-warming to watch.

The twos may be terrible, but they are also terrific!

Roaarrr!!

Playing at the stairs

Baby Jogger City Select Stroller

2010-11-06T23:51:00.003+08:00

This is totally drool worthy. Just saw this stroller yesterday and I can't stop thinking how clever it is!! I love how the back seat is higher than the front! The best part, the infant car seat can fit on it too so I can push both boys around at the same time :) Seems cheaper on US websites, but don't think they ship here. The store I saw it at sold it for a very steep price. Sigh...will probably just end up drooling, that's all :(

Check out the specs here, and esp the review about how much can fit into that basket below!! Shocking!

Once Upon A Milkshake

2010-11-05T00:24:00.002+08:00

Jon brought me to try this fairly new milkshake place called Once Upon A Milkshake at Maxwell Chambers. He had heard lots of good reviews about it, and since he knows I like milkshakes, brought me there on Deepavali.

We headed there after lunch at a nearby Japanese-style Korean restaurant called Bukang Tuna which sells the strangest looking fish I've ever seen, the Flatfish. Honestly, it looks like the entire species have some kind of deformity, but that's just how they are. Look at how the fish develops!

And as it turns out, many so-called food fish are a kind of Flatfish too, like flounder, plaice, halibut, and sole. Find out more from wiki!

Anyhow, the fish must be the specialty of the restaurant cos they had lots and lots of Flatfish in the fish tanks. None of them were moving at all though, which made me wonder how they swim given one fin is on top (facing the sky) and one below (facing the bottom of the tank).

We didn't try the Flatfish that day, but the lunch sets we
had were good and value for money. The service is good too. They even on their own initiative brought a small bowl of beef porridge for Asher. Gratis! Definitely scored points with me on that count.

But anyway back to the milkshake.

It's a simple setting with the decor du jour of mismatched chairs. Not quite so ecclectic since the chairs were mass-produced pieces rather than unique one-of-a-kind ones. But again, I digress.

The shakes were good! I am absolutely of the opinion that milkshakes must be thick, otherwise it's just milk. Milkshake that's thin in consistency is a waste of time. So far the closest to a proper milkshake has been good ol' McDonald's. It's thick, it doesn't melt too quickly, and cheap haha.

The milkshakes sold here are of a thick consistency as well, but are much smoother than the McDonald's ones. Mac's shakes can sometimes be too powdery/grainy. There's a wider range of flavours to choose from too. I had Cerious Maple which was exactly what I was looking for that day - something simple with a twist. It's essentially vanilla with some maple syrup and sprinkled with crunchy maple cereal flakes. Jon had the Vanilla Pot, which was basic vanilla - a good way to test the quality of a shake.

Their other flavours sound quite exciting too and there are a few I'm already eyeing for our next visit there, such as Chocolate Truffle Castle, Litchi Otokonoko, Grumbling Raisins..er...actually, I think I most of their flavours sound quite good, and would suit different moods/weathers.

Cerious Maple

Enjoying big gulps of our shakes before nodding off contentedly for his nap

Hill Billies

2010-11-03T00:08:00.002+08:00

Went to the Botanic Gardens with Jane & the boys again. He lately seems to be more interested in feeding the birds rather than the fish, maybe cos he can get closer to them. This time he had Kaizer as an ally to lure the birds nearer (partly cos they don't really fling the bread that far :) ).

I think the part that I thought was the sweetest was when the two older boys were running up and down the hill together. Initially it was just Kaizer, then Asher followed suit. Later, they even held hands to run up and down - which also means when one falls, both fall :) But that's what little boys do...tumble :)

One of the more gentle falls

Think I also mentioned that Asher's been quite picky about his eating lately. But guess what? Kaizer offered him some pandan bread, and he happily munched on it! Kaizer was super generous and even gave him another two buns when we were leaving, and those Asher munched on too. As a result he didn't eat much dinner, but doesn't matter, at least I know he ate something!!

But the next day, Asher didn't want to have any more pandan bread and hasn't had any since. Oh well, one hit wonder better than no hit at all!

Birthday Magic

2010-10-31T00:06:00.056+08:00

Popped by the Mok's place to celebrate Joe's birthday. Been a really long time since we saw Jo Claire, so it was great that the two kiddos got to play together for a while. Discovered that though they haven't met recently, she's very familiar with Asher cos she hears about him almost everyday. Her grandma reads to her a storybook which has a picture showing a set of parents, two sets of grandparents, and two children - one male one female. So her grandma would say that the little girl is Jo Claire, and for lack of another boy, that Asher is the little boy :) So she was more than familiar with his name, and just needed to match the face to it. By the end of the night, ask her who Asher was and she could point him out :)

Was super happy that Asher ate well there too! He's been going through a phase where he doesn't want to eat much of anything. All the food he normally likes to eat he'll shun. The only things he eats kind-of regularly are fruit and some veg (carrots esp). Even then, it's not a given that he will eat the fruit/veg offered to him. He's been losing weight, and has lost his little paunch. And it can be very frustrating and worrying for me.

But by some miracle, Asher asked to eat 2 bananas, and happily gobbled down some briyani ("colourful rice") and white rice, and slurped up some of the soup that Jo Claire was also drinking, which was a power-packed bowl of veg, dried scallops, soy beans, and ikan bilis. What a vast improvement from the day before where he only had 2 biscuits for breakfast, about 1 tablespoon of bee hoon for lunch, and a handful (his hand, not mine) of blueberries which garnished his Grandpa's birthday cake. He had also refused to drink his pre-bedtime cup of milk. Oh, the joy of seeing him eat!

Hanging out in the play area

Being a cheeky boy and making a soft-toy dolphin dive onto Jo Claire's head again, and again and again :/ She was very sweet about the whole thing and didn't banish him from her play area.

Where's Asher??

Taking a kangaroo's hat to wear during the cake-cutting :)

Artichoke

2010-10-30T10:00:00.002+08:00

To celebrate my father-in-law's birthday we went to a fairly new establishment called Artichoke at Sculpture Square along Middle Road. The place is immediately inviting, and the smells emanating from the kitchen are mouth-watering. The place serves my kind of food - Moroccan & Middle-Eastern influenced with fresh ingredients. We ordered way too much, but what fun to try the many dishes! The menu there changes frequently to keep things interesting, and often the best dishes are written on the wall. Loved the lamb short ribs cooked with chermoula spices - so well cooked the meat just comes off the bone; the hummus and babaganoush with bread were what they are meant to be - flavourful and comforting; the beef stew was excellent - robust, rich, extremely tender, but not stodgey; the moussaka was lovely - light with a lingering flavour; the leg of lamb served with seven veg couscous was perfectly done; and the popcorn chicken was a fried food indulgence that lived up to it's name - it really comes with popcorn :)

One of the few pics I had a chance to snap. Beetroot with feta and a sprinkling of nuts.

Their offering reminded me very much of Mecca Bah in Melbourne, and I was quite pleased to have a place to go to in Singapore for something similar. I would have taken pictures of everything if my hands weren't so tied up with Asher - he was fussing and not wanting to eat even though ordinarily, he'd eat everything on that table! In the end I only took pics of the first dishes that arrived.

Anyway, the place serves brunch too, so might pop by there another day to try it. But we'll definitely be coming back again some time!

Drawing for the first 1 min of the meal.

There was essentially no meal for him since he didn't eat dinner per se...

He only had some fruit garnishing Grandpa's cake

Alexandra Firestation

2010-10-30T01:10:00.086+08:00

We were all finally out of our feverish phase after hibernating indoors for about 2 weeks collectively. So decided we deserved a little family outing. Trotted down to Alexandra Firestation for a station visit so that Asher could get a chance to see fire engines upclose. It was a simple visit, but fun and fulfilled its intention. We got to see and sit in most of the vehicles - several types of large fire engines, firefly 2-seater, red rhinos, paramedic motorcycle, etc. Asher got to help out spraying some trees with the fire hose too :)

Some little things we learnt were that ambulances and paramedic bikes are also co-located at firestations for quick response, and when the siren sounds the firemen/paramedic team have to leave the station within 1 minute! It happened that we and several other families were sitting in one of the fire trucks when the siren went off, so we were hurriedly asked to come off while the firemen pulled on their firesuits. We quickly exchanged places, and they were off in a jiffy! Quite exciting :) Asher was particularly pleased when he saw the fire engine come back and park in its original spot. There was also an ambulance which responded to a call while we were there. Apparently on average they get about 3-4 calls a day, so we were quite lucky to see the men in action :)

But that also meant that some of the manpower was tied up, so we didn't get to ride on their rescue cherry-picker, which they sometimes let the public try. Maybe next time! I'd love to do that! :)

The visit is fun for kids, and free! All SCDF firestations are open to the public every Saturday from 9-11am (except Jurong Island). Find out more here. The next one we might check out is the Hill Street Central Firestation, cos that one has a museum with several old-style fire engines that Asher (and us heh heh) can climb into :) As you can see, I think I'm as much or more of a monkey than my little boy, even with a bulging belly! :O)

Showing us the equipment in the truck

Their latest recruit getting comfy behind the wheel

Responding to a call. That's the same truck we were just sitting in!

On to the bikes. This paramedic bike is for quick response, and mainly to provide initial medical care and psychological aid to affected people while waiting for the bigger vehicles to arrive. Especially useful if there's a high traffic situation.

A team of 3 kid fire fighters! Asher, Otto & Bruno :)

Playing with the hose. The jet is really quite powerful, and at one point the kids pulled the lever too much and the guy had difficulty holding the hose :)

The fireman looks like he's having as much fun as the kids :)

Asher and his new friend Otto

There are actually a few other pics like Asher in the firemen's hat, but I was too lazy to upload everything :)

Baking Up A Storm

2010-10-30T00:40:00.003+08:00

It's been a while since we did some baking, and thought it'd be a nice way to occupy him at home one afternoon. The last time we baked was about a month-and-a-half ago where we made blueberry muffins. This time around, I was gonna bake some banana bread together with him.

There was a funny moment when he stirred too vigourously and flicked some batter onto his arm, the table, and the floor. And he proceeded to melt into a gush of giggles :) It was sweet that he wanted to help me clean up after, and tried to wipe up the specks of flour and dough that he had flicked onto the floor. I say tried, cos he was essentially pushing all the flour and dough around on the floor :) But it's the thought that counts heh.

I think this was the first time that he was really able to do most of the stuff himself. I basically just helped with measuring and maybe the final stir to check that the flour was mixed in properly. But he did the rest of the pouring and mixing on his own. So I told him that "Mummy helped Asher", instead of "Asher helped Mummy".

It was also nice to have the kitchen to ourselves. I enjoy the freedom of not being 'watched' (for lack of a better word) in my own home, which was something I often felt when our helper was around. Left the real cleaning till after his bedtime so that I could just spend the entire afternoon with him.

Dinner was a muffin, and breakfast the next morning too :)

Creaming the butter and sugar

Beating the eggs

Looking at the speck of batter on his arm

Giggling away

Scooping the batter into the muffin tray

Going, "WHOA!" each time he dumped a scoop of batter into the loaf tin

Cleaning under his chair :)

Ta da!

Eating & giggling while remembering how he flicked the batter around :)

Brekkie the next day

Being silly and squashing his face with the container cover :)

Down By the River

2010-10-30T00:07:00.000+08:00

Had some free time on my hands a couple of weeks ago and brought Asher to see the Singapore River and check out the Merlion up-close (this was after our helper left, so I was quite pleased to be keeping up his activities). We've seen the Merlion from the Esplanade on several occasions, but he's not seen the fish-lion in his spitty, scale-y glory.

The little afternoon outing started with an amusing detour - chasing sparrows at square outside Raffles Place MRT. He did this hilarious little slow creep-cum-tai-chi walk to creep up on the birds before running full-speed ahead. Yes, he was oblivious to the office people looking on, and amused them with his antics for a while :) In the end, most of the sparrows escaped from him by perching on top of the entrace to the MRT.

Next, my favourite bridge in Singapore - Cavenagh Bridge. Besides the bridge, I had brought him there to take a look at the kuching. He liked those and kept asking to see them after we'd walked away. We also saw the sculpture of the water buffalo, which he somehow found very amusing and kept laughing whenever he looked at it (??), and also saw the sculpture of children jumping into the water.

It was a scorching day, so we walked to the Merlion by going through the Fullerton underpass, and paused by the fish pond for a little snack/water break to cool down and enjoy the air-con. We then finished our round by walking under the Fullerton bridge and headed back home by the train again. Tourists in Singapore :)

Shoes For A Cause

2010-10-25T23:12:00.000+08:00

Pass It On

2010-10-25T17:08:00.002+08:00

We're playing an unpleasant game of pass on the germs at home. Jon came back from his trip feeling under the weather, and was down for the next 3-4 days. He had really high fever, chills, bad cough (worsened by the haze), and a cold.

Then just as he was getting well, I caught it! My fever has gone as high as 39.9 degrees! My face turned red and swelled from the heat. The first time that happened it took hours to get it below 39 degrees. Read that if the temperature goes above 38.8 I should call the gynae immediately. When I did, I was told I should actually try to get the temperature below 38 degrees!! But again my temperature soared to 39.5 and again it took hours to get it anywhere near 38 degrees even though I had taken panadol (can't take anything stronger), and was sponging myself non-stop. To give myself some comfort, I ice-packed my belly, but not sure if that really helps cool down baby.

In hope of preventing Asher from catching the potent germs, my parents offered to help watch him yesterday night. But this morning they called and said he's feverish :( Poor boy! If he caught our germs, it gonna be several days of high fever for him! I want to manja him and take care of him myself, but as Jon rightly points out, I should take care of myself first. Afterall, other people can help look after Asher, but only I can look after baby inside me... But I miss Asher already, he was so sweet yesterday. When I was knocked out in bed getting some rest and Jon was going to bring him out for a while, he kept asking me to come along. I tried to tell him I was ill and had a fever, and reminded him about how he sometimes had fevers too. He looked a little sad, and kept wanting me to go along, tugging at my hand, which I thought was very sweet. Later in the evening when my parents came to pick him up, he again wanted me to go along. I said that they missed him and wanted to play with him. I didn't want him to think that because I was sick I didn't want him around.

But now that he's ill, and I'm still ill, and Jon isn't even fully recovered himself, my parents have offered to watch him another night. While I'm honestly grateful, and the rational part of me knows that's the best for all of us, me and baby in particular, cos I can get rest and hopefully recover quickly, the emotional part of me just wants Asher back now! I don't want him to think that cos he's sick, I don't want him around. Maybe I'm over-thinking things, but I hope he doesn't think that way. Mummy's sick, she doesn't want to come out with me and Daddy. Mummy's sick, I go to Gong Gong and Por Por's house. I'm sick, I'm still away from Mummy/Mummy doesn't want me back.

Maybe he doesn't think like that. I hope.

Anyway, went for a gynae check-up his morning to make sure baby's ok. So far, things look fine and baby is still growing well. Please pray that I'll recover quickly, that the fevers can be controlled below 38 degrees, and baby continues to be protected. Also pray that Asher will not get it so bad and recover quickly. And also for Jon too!

Drama

2010-10-18T15:18:00.005+08:00

An unexpected development on the home front. We sent our helper home. Our instincts proved right. Won't go into the details here, but suffice to say it was definitely a right decision and we're glad Asher's safe and the house is intact. It all happened in the span of an afternoon. So we suddenly found ourselves without help for cooking and other household chores - her areas of responsibility.

Though there's more work to do now that she's gone, the vibe of the house feels better, and I'm feeling happier, even though more tired. So far even though I still bring Asher for outings, I've managed to cook dinner still, both Asher's and ours, and we're managing to keep up with laundry and the house feels decently clean. It takes a bit more planning and effort, but so far we're ok. I usually clean the house after Asher sleeps. Cooking time involves Asher. He helps to wash the rice, scoop seeds out from the papayas, etc. When he can't help directly, he gets to 'mix flour' with empty containers, and 'chop fruit' on a chopping board. Laundry time also includes Asher. He enthusiastically helps put the laundry into the machine, and helps to transport the clean, dry clothes to our bed for folding. Found it adorable seeing him run to and fro the kitchen and bedroom carrying little piles of clothing :) Think this is healthy for him, but I do wonder if and when the novelty will wear out for all of us.

We have inevitably had to tweak one house rule - no entering the kitchen. Since I now have to be in there preparing food and cooking, I can't possibly keep an eye on him when he's running around the living room. So he joins me in the kichen, either munching on snacks or helping out.

He does get a bit upset when I can't play with him immediately cos I need to clean up a bit, but I hope he'll get used to it, and I hope I can come up with an even more efficient way of handling things so that such times are minimised.

The past few days have been challenging, but not unpleasant. Jon's overseas for a few days, so it's just me and Asher. Thank goodness his trip straddles the weekend, so I could take a bit of a breather from things cos we usually visit Jon's Dad and my parents. Even then, I had to head home on Saturday while Asher was napping to clean up the house (I just can't stand a dusty house!).

Not sure what the plan is for when Baby number 2 comes, but in the meantime we're looking around for a part-time cleaner who can also help with ironing (I hate ironing!!!) and perhaps a tingkat service for some of the days. Of course if all else fails, we could always do what we used to do before we had kids - get food from the market.

Please pray for energy, strength, ingenuity, and lots of patience!!

Phototaking Day

2010-10-12T23:53:00.000+08:00

Phototaking day. Asher doesnt't actually have his own set of the uniform, but thankfully our neighbour's son had a set she could spare us for the day.

More "growing up" moments ;)

Doing splits on the way to school =)

Happy in his borrowed uniform

The Kingdom Under My Bed

2010-10-02T14:35:00.004+08:00

We arranged for an extended family outing to the Esplanade for the kids catch a PLAYtime! production called "The Kingdom Under My Bed". I didn't realise that PLAYtime! productions were put up by various theatre companies. This time around, it was Teater Ekamatra, a different group from the one which did The Magic Island. I felt that it was not as good as The Magic Island. The storyline was complicated, there were very many characters, the actors sometimes spoke too quickly and with poor pronunciation, and some characters (one in particular) seemed to scare plenty of the kids (they started wailing and crying when that character came out! Aidan let known his opinion by simply raising his hand and saying, "Stop!"). The parts that appealed more were probably when there were songs, and when they showed some shadow-puppetry. Ironically, the character that stuck the most in Asher's mind was the bunny rabbit, who was actually a character created to allow the backstage guy to bring props on and off the stage.

Next time, I'll make sure to find out who is putting up the PLAYtime! performance before deciding to go for the show.

After the performance, we had lunch together before hanging out by the bay area. Good thing there were 6 adults, and we could take turns making sure the kids didn't trip on the steps and tumble into the water! :) And as it was a super hot day, and ice cold fruit slushes from Chill Out! were the perfect remedy. I like that the slushies are made from pure fruit juice, so even though they are a little bit pricey, you feel like you're having a healthy option while cooling down.

There's the merlion! (But they're pointing in diff directions, hmm)

Making sure they don't topple into the bay :)

The IR looming behind

Merlion in the distance

We should be paid for these series of pics! Free advertising - endorsement by kids!

Stuck to their straws. Anya looking very demure here :)

Stripey Father & Son :)

Toybox

2010-09-23T23:33:00.079+08:00

Brought Asher for a Toybox performance at Loewen Gardens with Del & Anya. We had just gone there over the weekend for the farmer's market, and I was looking forward to the outing cos I like the place. There was a tent set-up over the formerly open area specially for the event, and mats laid on the ground as seating. Quite a cosy set-up. And it was packed!

The duo, Reuben and Mark are animated and funny, and I felt they put up a good performance filled with engaging action songs that really got the kids moving. Anya was absolutely adorable! She moves to any beat, and was bouncing and bobbing away to the music :) Asher was looking for Incy Wincy now and then after the performance, cos the little spider had climbed up to the top of the tent during one of the songs, but there was no mention of it coming back down :)

Think the kids enjoyed it. Very happy we went!

"The ants go marching one-by-one, HURRAH!"

Checking out the Bob the Builder mat after the show

First School Excursion!

2010-09-22T14:41:00.036+08:00

Ah, another milestone. Asher went for his first school excursion! His school organised an outing to the Jacob Ballas Children's Gardens one of the mornings, and all the children were decked out in their school 'PE' attire. Asher has never worn the uniform before, and we don't even own a set! His school is quite casual and the kids usually just wear their own clothes. I ended up having to borrow a set from Jane.

I've brought Asher to Jacob Ballas a couple of times. Am not quite sure what the teachers did there with the children, but from the pictures it looks like they just brought them for a walk around, which is fine. According to Asher, they played at the playground for a bit (and he remembers some classmates in particular chasing one another). This version I think I can believe. He sometimes tells all kinds of stories when I ask him "how was your day?", some of which are clearly from his imagination and cannot be true in reality. Really quite amusing to hear :)

He was very happy in the morning to be in his uniform though :) Beaming away to himself, especially when Jon and I said how nice he looked. He insisted on wearing his red cap on the way to school to complete the look. They were blessed with good weather that morning. It's been raining heavily lately, but that morning we prayed for sunny weather in the car, and thank God! It was perfectly sunny! The rain only came in the afternoon when the children were all safely back in school, and it poured cats and dogs at that!

Very happy that morning :)

Some of his friends

Looking at the musical instruments made from fruits and tree pods

Fiddling with the mechanical generator which lights up the flowers

Taking a water break! Hot morning!

Impromptu Garden Playdate

2010-09-20T13:43:00.001+08:00

Asher and I have been going to the Botanic Gardens regularly to feed fishes there, especially since I made an arrangement with the cafeteria at my office to save the ends of the bread loaf for me. They normally throw away the ends anyway cos they don't use it to make sandwiches. So instead of letting it go to waste they agreed to keep the ends for me, and I collect it once or twice a week. So I now have a steady supply of bread to feed fishes! Normally there isn't enough bread available from home. Afterall, we eat it!

One of the days I picked up the bread, I happened to bump into Jane at school. Since it was still quite early, we all trotted over to Botanic Gardens together :) All the pictures below I took from Jane (thanks!).

The three boys - Asher, Kaizer & Titus

I really like this shot of the three of them. Next time it'll be four!

All intently looking at the fishes gobbling up the bread

Asher, me & baby-in-tummy :)

The older boys moving on to feed the birds...

...while Titus was content to crawl around for a while. Think we had a mini scare when Titus came a little too close to the pond for comfort. Close call!

Bollywood Veggies

2010-09-19T17:18:00.003+08:00

To top off our overseas-without-being-overseas weekend, we made a trip to Bollywood Veggies, somewhere we've been wanting to check out. The restaurant was surprisingly un-farm-ish. Erm...I guess I didn't expect it to look like a restaurant, rather I thought it'd be more of a shack or a hawker stall. It was a pleasant surprise :) We tried their nasi lemak (which interestingly came with banana chips), banana flower curry (which I liked, but wasn't quite to Jon's taste), and a Kandy style curry chicken (which was good).

It was a super hot day plus Asher was overdue for a nap so we didn't walk around as much as we wanted to. But we'll definitely head back, and hopefully hit the goat farms and some other farms as well. It isn't a bad idea to stay a night at the D'Kranji Farm Resort so you can check out all the farms without having to drive up repeatedly. Maybe when the boy(s) are older :)

Home of the gentle warrior...

...who shoots you with a cross bow if you don't turn off your engine...hmmm...

The restaurant

Mixing drinks for Mummy & Daddy

Plenty to explore

Cat's whiskers flower! I think the name is so appropriate :)

Blackhearts

But Asher kept correcting me and saying "purple", even though I tried to explain it's just a name :)

One of the ladies working there gave him an organically grown banana, which tasted very different from the usual bananas we get from the market. Different type I suppose?

Loewen Garden's Farmers' Market

2010-09-18T17:09:00.007+08:00

Who'd have thought there'd be a farmers' market in Singapore? Thanks to my cousin, we've discovered a new spot to head to for breakfast "overseas". Organised by The Pantry Cookery School, the Farmers' Market is held twice a month on Saturdays. It's not quite the Borough Market that I love so much, but it's as good as it gets in Singapore I guess!

There are stalls selling French Provencal produce, Spanish jamon & paella, Cornish pasties (I never thought I'd find them in Singapore!), artisan breads, UK beers & ciders (if I weren't preggers I'd prob pick up a pear cider!), pretty cupcakes, jams & spreads, and tapas-y olives, stuffed tomatoes, and artichoke hearts which I love!

You get the feel of being overseas, but you also pay as if you were overseas. Things aren't cheap. But since we were there to enjoy ourselves and the experience, we just closed one eye :)

The stall by Little Provence which imports foodstuff from that area in France. The tapenades looked great, and I had difficulty choosing just one to buy home. Will probably go back again sometime to buy home another flavour (or two, or three) :) The one I got - green olives with sun-dried tomatoes - was heavenly!

The 'rib-stickers'! Didn't get one that day cos wanted space to try other things :)

Too pretty to eat!

A rare sight here

We bought a box of paella to try, and it was not bad, though I think I've tried better.

Yum yum yum

Bacon butty. Can anything with bacon go wrong?

There's also a little shop called The Childrens Showcase that sold many pretty and unique things. Not seen many of these products anywhere else, which arguably makes the price-tag worth it. Lots of colourful melamine ware too (Jane!! Are you still looking for them?). I picked up 2 pairs of kid's chopsticks, and a giant bubble maker - which Asher currently enjoys playing with in a non-bubble-making way (more on this in a next post) :)

If I had a daughter, I think I'd be sooooo tempted to buy this!

I particularly liked that the place was very kid friendly. There were many play areas and play things available - blocks, bead-chasers, riding toys, wire jeeps for pushing around, and a proper playground. Asher made a new friend there too, a sweet older girl called Chloe. She took a liking to him, and helped him climb up climbing frames, up the ladder to the slide (which is high and very fun!), and even slid down with him in tandem several times. And Asher looked so happy, heh.

Two very sticky children :)

My breakfast the next morning - organic bread, tapenade, artichoke hearts, and sardines. What a great way to start the day!

Niu Niu Comparison: A Developing Bond

2010-09-10T00:26:00.000+08:00

It's been a long time since we last did a comparison. At 22 months Niu Niu has become one of Asher's favourite toy friends now. He loves cuddling him, sometimes to sleep, and bringing him for car rides and showing him the sights outside the window. I guess it's cos Niu Niu is one of Asher's biggest soft toys, and he's really nice to touch. I like cuddling him myself!

Here're a few recent shots of Asher with Niu Niu, in matching shorts to boot :)

Full length shot to show the height difference :)

Just a random photo cos I like it

On The Way

2010-09-06T00:03:00.000+08:00

So this has been a long time coming.

I'm sure by now if you've been reading the previous few posts you'll know I'm expecting again :) This pregnancy has been very different from the first. For starters, I actually have pregnancy symptoms this time around! The first time, except for the growing bump, I had no symptoms whatsoever. No morning sickness, no nausea, no cravings, no aversions, no fatigue, etc. (altho Jon says I'm so greedy all the time it's hard to tell whether I'm having cravings or not ;) ).

This time, I experienced some nausea, especially when I was ill. I hated that wanna-puke feeling! I also had some aversions. I normally eat all kinds of veggies and have always loved spinach, but for some reason, I suddenly just couldn't stomach even the thought of eating the bayam variety. It made me feel nauseous just thinking about eating it. And the weirdest thing? Water made me feel like puking. Yes, water. I could drink an entire glass of juice/soft-drink/any flavoured beverage. But a few sips of water made me feel like throwing up. At Shan's wedding I was supposed to deliver a speech and was feeling cold (and nervous), so drank some warm water...which ended up making me feel nauseous. I was quite worried that I would actually puke on the podium! Thank goodness that didn't happen. It would surely have been a speech to remember.

Then there was the fatigue in the first trimester. I just felt so tired everyday! Needed to have a nap each day before picking Asher up from school.

Thank goodness things have gotten better, and I can give Asher more of my time and energy.

But I think that among the best things that resulted from this pregnancy was having Asher finally sleep through the night again. He managed to do so from about 2-4 months old, but suddenly just stopped that good habit and woke up repeatedly every night. At it's worst Asher was waking as many as 12 times a night - that's more than twice an hour. And I had already gone back to work at that point. I was frustrated and at a loss over what to do. I half-guessed it was because Asher was at that time still breastfeeding, and was trying to wean him off his night feedings, which he nutritionally did not need. It was nursing simply for comfort's sake. Even then, when I had managed to get it down to one night feed, and eventuallly just the 530/6am feed, he still woke up that many times a night. Maybe he was always still hoping for a comforting nurse? Prayed and prayed, hoping for a miracle.

Then I found out I was pregnant and had to stop breastfeeding. And then he started to magically sleep through the night again! Oh, the joy! Tempered by the fact that in the first trimester you tend to wake up frequently to head to the loo, but still, I woke up much less often than 12 times a night!!!

So Asher's breastfeeding journey went something like this:

Nov 08 - May 09: Exclusive breastfeeding (BF)
Mar 09: BF + very very occasional expressed breastmilk (EBM) from a cup just to get him used to it (he never took to the bottle)
May 09: BF + introduced cereal (used EBM)
Jun 09: BF + supplementing with formula milk (FM) when making cereal
Jul 09: Back to work. BF + EBM from sippy cup + FM for 1 milk feed a day at infantcare
Sep 09: BF + EBM from straw cup + FM for 1.5 milk feed a day at infantcare (1 feed was mixed with EBM)
Oct 09 - Jan 10: BF (gradually reduced feeds to only before sleep, at night, & first feed in morning) + EBM + FM
Feb 10 - May 10: BF (before sleep, at night, & first feed in morning, gradually reducing the number of BF feeds starting with the pre-sleep one) + FM (stopped expressing completely)
May 10: Stopped breastfeeding completely. FM only.

So in total breastfed Asher for about 1.5 years. I have this feeling that with the second kid, I may not breastfeed for quite a long cos it'll be tough to devote that amount of time to him without neglecting Asher. I will probably end up expressing earlier too, something I find an absolute chore doing, but I think I may find to be necessary in order to have enough time for both children.

Now we're in the midst making arrangments for Baby, and trying to prepare Asher for the arrival of his sibling too. So far he seems to be taking well to the idea in concept, but of course, things will be quite different when reality hits. I'm just hoping to make it as easy as possible for him.

In the meantime, I try to continue spending as much time as I can with Asher, to make sure he knows I love him so much, whether in word or in deed. I hope he feels secure and loved. I can only try my best.

At the same time, I do wonder what it will be like to have a second child. I think that to some extent it will require deliberate attention on our part. I'm sure we'll love our child, but as a newborn, he won't be as responsive and engaging as a toddler. Just thinking about Asher, the most fun times are now! We'll have to make sure to give enough attention to our little baby while not neglecting Asher. I'm hoping to involve him in caring for Baby, like with getting diapers, sponging Baby in the bath, maybe show Baby pictures in books...not sure what else. Currently, in concept he is quite keen to hold Baby's hand in the car, and bring Baby to see the animals in the zoo. I hope that his good feelings will continue after Baby comes.

But I am a little worried cos Asher is still very attached to me, so I'm not sure how he'll take to sharing Mummy when Baby comes. Again, I can only try my best.

Choo Choo, Austin's Two

2010-09-05T16:14:00.000+08:00

Headed over to Dawn's place for an early 2nd birthday celebration for Austin. Lots and lots and lots of toys for all to play. In line with Austin's liking for trains, Dawn adorned his birthday cake with a colourful set of trains. Happy to know our gift was appropriate too - a train set!

The Things We Live For

2010-09-02T00:20:00.001+08:00

These last few days, something special has been happening which warms my heart and makes me glow from within. Asher, on his own accord, has been saying, "Mummy, I love you" :O)

At bedtime after we say our prayers, he also sometimes says, "Jesus loves Mummy, Jesus loves Daddy, Jesus loves Asher" :)

I can only thank God for all this!

The Magic Island

2010-08-30T00:32:00.089+08:00

Brought Asher to catch PLAYtime's The Magic Island at the Esplandae Theatres after school. I thought that it was a good production in that the storyline was kept simple, the characters sufficiently engaging, and it was obvious the children enjoyed the programme. Plus, the tickets aren't that expensive at $15.

The Recital Hall was set up with a platform in the middle (the island), four marked out areas for parents and children to sit, four more 'islands' in the outer perimeter, and a platform in front which, I suppose, was a hill.

Basically the story is about a little girl who visits her big sister, and during her week-long visit tries to make friends with the animals she meets. She eventually makes friends with Baby Monkey, Baby Tiger and Sally the vegetarian singing Snake. It brings the children through a series of adventures such as a journey to Coconut Island, to Starfish Island, and learning how to swim.

Asher was engaged throughout the performance, and I had to catch him back several times when he wanted to wander onto the stage, or didn't want to come back to my lap after an interactive portion where the children actually were allowed to go on stage :) He particularly like Baby Tiger, and after the performance we walked around Esplanade looking for Baby Tiger to say hello. I think he had fun, at least, he nodded his head when I asked him after if he did :)

Will definitely try to go for their other performances next time.

As usual, when we're at the Esplanade, we headed to the bayside to see the Merlion and watch the boats go by. That day there were canoes, and even better, two eagles soaring above. They even swooped down a couple of times to catch fish! What a treat to watch.

Trying to be an eagle

We ended the outing with dinner at Ichiban Boshi. The food there is always decent for the price, and I really like some of their sushi items. I ordered an unagi-tofu-tempura set to share with Asher, and a side order of cha soba. The set was hearty and I was happy with the variety of dishes it came with. Besides the three mentioned above, it also came with miso soup, some pickles, chawanmushi, a bowl of rice and oranges. The portion of unagi was generous and they gave an entire slab of tofu! Asher eventually only wanted to munch some of my tempura, but walloped the soba, a mound of rice, the entire bowl of chawanmushi and the oranges. Didn't realise he would like chawanmushi so much!

Overall, a good outing :)

National Day Starts at Kith Cafe

2010-08-09T17:12:00.061+08:00

Brunch excursions continue. We met Joce, Clarence, Emma, Jian Ming, Jo, and Josiah at Kith Cafe @ Rodyk Street near Robertson Quay for breakfast on National Day. Most of us came in red-and-white even though we didn't plan for it. I guess having kids makes you do that to make the day more special. Then again, I always do that anyway hahahaaa. I like national day. Majulah Singapura! I love my country. Just because. I just do :)

Anyway, back to breakfast. The food was not too bad. I guess the big breakfast set was alright, nothing to shout about I thought. But Jon thought the hot dog was great. I didn't really try it so can't really comment there. The place is small though, and not very kid friendly. We ended up putting two small tables together, and still didn't have enough space for all of us. And we had to kop chairs from here and there to get seats for 6, even though there were 9 of us. The kids were running around most of the time, and a few of us were running after them, so it still worked out fine :)

The kids had enjoyed watching the boats go by (the cafe is located along the river), running on the pavements, and trooping into a bicycle cum book and stationary store (yes, a rather unusual combination) which boasted a cute kitten and a friendly cockatoo. I think the kitten was more afraid of the three of them then they were of it :) It looked a little spooked and hid behind a table.

Clarence was definitely Uncle-of-the-day. He single handedly managed all three kids at one point, and on more than one occasion carried two toddlers by himself :) Definitely all ready of baby number 2. Speaking of which it was good to chat with Joce and Jo who are also expecting, and like with our first kids, we are all due within months of each other. We were exchanging info on our plans to make space at home for the second kid, how to handle the childcare situation, and all that. It's reassuring to have friends who are at the same lifestage as you. In particular, it was reassuring to find that we all didn't really have a plan we were completely satisfied with. I guess you just have to make do after a while.

Later at night, we allowed Asher to stay up late to watch the NDP parade. He had during his staycation with the grandies seen the aeroplanes, helicopters, and fireworks live from Fairmont Hotel, so he was quite eager to watch NDP when I told him that he could see all these things again. Plus, he would get to see tanks, fire engines, soldiers, and people dancing.

And, muahaha, I managed to get him to stand with me for the pledge and national anthem, and he even enthusiastically joined me in dancing to "stand up for Singapore" :O) Jon just rolled his eyes.

After the parade came to an end around 10pm, I brought Asher to the bed and sang national day songs until he fell asleep :) Brainwashing!!! Hiah hiah hiah

Dazzled by Twilight in Phuket

2010-07-28T17:12:00.179+08:00

Jon and I took a short break with his friends at Phuket for 2 nights. It was a really short trip cos we only arrived there around 10pm on the first night. His other friends had left for Phuket early that morning, but we didn't want to have to spend quite so much time away from Asher. As it is, it was already be the longest that he'd been away from us.

You probably won't understand, but I've been dreaming of eating cup noodles on a plane since my last KLM flight in 2007. I have fond memories of my LON-SIN-LON flights via KLM when I got to watch movies the entire way and snack on steaming hot cups of noodles in the cold airplane in the dark while everyone else was sleeping. It was just something that I really really enjoyed :)

My parents, aunt and grandaunt eagerly made an event of our being away cos they've always wanted to have Asher stay with them for a long stretch. Two days isn't very long, but since it was the longest ever, they quickly took the opportunity to plan a staycation :) Aidan came along too, so it was a ton of fun for the grandies to have both grandchildren around for the 'trip' at the same time. And, the two boys get along spectacularly, so it's always lots of fun and very entertaining to watch them together. They just feed off each other's antics and utterances. Very adorable :)

They arranged a two night stay at Fairmont Hotel cos that weekend coincided nicely with the NDP rehearsals. They managed to get a room facing the Padang so the boys got to watch the fly past, helicopters, parachutes, and of course, fireworks! I'll have to get some of the pics that they took that weekend :)

What about Phuket? Well, I was ill from start to finish of the trip. In fact, I just got worse and worse. I was also unable to enjoy all the spa treats cos of the pregnancy. So I found myself sitting around while everyone else spent hours being kneaded and stretched. BUT! That was exactly how I liked it, cos I got to read to my heart's content! I did exactly as I planned. Read. I brought along my cousin's copy of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. She had lent it to be a few months after Asher was born, but I never got around to reading it. So I thought I'd start on it during this trip. I targeted to finish the book by the end of the two days, which for me - a slow reader - was going to be a challenge.

But I did it! Stayed up late at night, woke up early in the morning. Was utterly antisocial with Jon during breakfast cos I'd just read and eat (altho he didn't mind cos he had his newspapers, and then in his words, he had "quiet"...tsk). Didn't really get much chance to be antisocial with his friends cos most of them weren't even up that early anyway haha. It's a hazard of parenthood I tell you. No matter how late you sleep, you still end up waking up at 7am Singapore time and find you can't go back to sleep. We had a good 2-3 hours before everyone was finally up, so we even had time to squeeze in a swim on the first morning before meeting them back at the breakfast hall.

I also read through all those hours sitting at the spa waiting for everyone to be done with their massages, and was done just before we boarded the bus for the airport on the last day.

I love the book! I never watched the movie, and hadn't heard what the story was about. My impression was that it was some action packed book cos the movie adverts showed vampires chasing each other. But it was completely different! It was not at all what I expected, and so much more compelling and engaging.   To me, it's not a book about vampires and werewolves and all that lore, it's a love story. It's really a story about their relationship and it's development. Ok, it's not a book to read to enjoy beautiful literature. For that, stick to the classics. But, somehow, despite all the cheesy lines, she manages to capture your imagination and pull you deep into the story. Yes, there are plenty of cheesy lines. How Edward is like a model/god/too good to be true, how he makes Bella hyperventilate/forget what she was thinking/lose her balance, etc.  And these lines are peppered throughout the book. But, because of the way Edward is portrayed, I can believe that you would really think that of him, and you would react that way.  Oh, Edward! ;)

Ya, I know many people think of it as a teenager's book. But actually, the many adults I know who've read it love it too! But admittedly, it's more of a girl's book. To the skeptics, and especially the romantics at heart, put aside your preconceived notions and give the book a chance!

At the end of the trip I had only done a teeny bit of shopping for 2 pieces of kids clothing, had Thai food when we could (we managed to make our way to one of the back alleys where locals eat which we discovered the last time we came), and made a discovery about crepes.

There are plenty of street-side stalls selling crepes in Phuket, and Jon and I found that there really is a difference in quality of crepes, even though they may be located side by side. We thought that since their menus all boasted approximately the same range of crepes, it probably didn't matter which stall you bought it from. But on our last night there, we tried the chocolate & banana crepe. The first one we had was made by a popular stallholder, and the queue was quite long. I managed to study her method and found that she flipped the crepe before spreading the nutella. She then let the chocolate bubble for a while before slicing the banana on top, folding the edges over, then pouring chocolate sauce on top. It was a heavenly crepe. Crispy on the outside, gooey goodness on the inside. It was so good we decided to have another, but had walked while eating and decided to order the same crepe from a different stallholder. Bad choice. It was nothing like the first one, and I'm certain it has to do with the method. This lady put blobs of nutella on the moist batter without having first flipped it. She also cut the bananas straightaway onto the chocolate before folding the edges in and pouring the chocolate sauce over. As a result, it was not crispy, more like man chiang kueh. And the insides were too thick and jelak - not cos it was our second one for the night, but it was just too cloying to be enjoyable. We didn't finish that crepe.

So anyway, back to the Twilight Saga. When we got back to Singapore around 1am, I was still quite awake and straightaway started on New Moon. Within a week from the time I first started Twilight, I was done with the series. I couldn't put the book down! I just kept wanting to go on and on, from book to book. I was so energised! It's been a very long time since I'd read a book that really captured my imagination, that filled my mind with images of places and settings I knew every detail about.

I found myself digging deeper into the Twilight Saga after I'd finished the third and fourth books, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. To my delight I discovered there was an unfinished book called Midnight Sun, which was Twilight written from Edward's perspective. After that, I rented the videos for Twilight and New Moon and made Jon watch them with me. He had refused to read the books but promised to humour me and watch together with me :) However, the movies were a let down. If I hadn't read the book I really wouldn't understand why Bella loves Edward so much and why she feels so strongly for him.  They fall in love too quickly.  I had my reservations about the movie before watching it because a lot of the important story telling parts of the book have to do with narration and internal thoughts - how do you put that into a movie? And as expected, it was no where as good as what my own imagination had cooked up. Told Jon that the movie probably only captures like 25% of whatever you can think up on your own.

The the worst bit (well almost the worst...it's a toss up between the failure to live up the story and this), Robert Pattinson is so not my kind of Edward! He seems just all wrong!  And what's with that weird hair?! Edward's hair isn't described like that!  I saw from internet articles that he's apparently quite the acclaimed actor, and perhaps in other movies he really does do a good job, but in Twilight, he so bombed.  And it was clear, at least to me, that in the movie New Moon, Taylor Lautner who played Jacob was so much more convincing!

The other bits that the movie was unable to capture properly were the portrayals of the other characters which I thought were quite central to the story, especially Alice.

But I decided I liked the music from Twilight, especially after seeing the MTVs of Muse and Paramore from the DVDs, and went to get the soundtrack. What a great buy! I love the soundtrack! It's one of those CDs I can put on repeat and not get tired of quickly.

Now, I'm waiting for VideoEzy to stock Eclipse. I didn't catch it in theatres cos I hadn't read the books then. Didn't want to spoil my reading experience. And even though I know it won't live up to what's in my head, I still want to watch it anyway.

Runway Raiders

2010-07-11T17:11:00.003+08:00

It was a sunny Sunday. Clear blue skies. We decided to bring Asher to see aeroplanes take off from Changi Airport. He's seen aeroplanes ascending in the distance when we are at East Coast Park, but I wanted to show him aeroplanes taking off, and what better place than from the runway itself?

So together with my parents we first stopped by the sailing club opposite SAFRA to see some planes from there. Then, we drove to the side of the runway and watched the airplanes take off right in front of us! We observed that for the more established airlines, the sound the engines of the planes made when taking off was much richer and nicer than for the less established airlines. SIA planes really make nicer take-off sounds.

Asher was eagerly watching the planes take off one after the other. Big planes, and bigger planes - cos from there, they were all big! And then of course we had to all imitate how planes fly, and Asher followed, particular enjoying being 'flown' around by Jon :)

We managed to stay there watching the planes for a good while before we got hungry and headed for dinner at Charlie's Corner at Changi Village. The food there is great! My Mum loved the pork chops which were thick and juicy. Many places serve their pork chops too dry. The grilled fish that I shared with Asher was also well done (generous portions, not charred, very flavourful), as was the fish and chips my Dad had, and the hot dog Jon ate. And as my Dad ordered a beer, he initiated the clinking of glasses while saying "cheers" just for fun. Then, Asher picked up on it, and for the rest of the night kept on wanting to clink his waterbottle with us while saying "cheers" too. Haha...oh dear. What have we taught him? :)

At the sailing club

By the runway

Eu & Adrian's Wedding

2010-07-03T22:50:00.043+08:00

And another happy occasion - another good friend got married! A day of double joy! We had to scuttle between the two weddings in the afternoon, and only got to Eu's after the ceremony had ended, but it was still well worth it. I think it's important try to be part of your friend's weddings, even if it's just to be there for a while :)

The wedding was a very cosy affair held at Eu's home, and mostly her close friends were invited. Eu was radiant, and I had the honour of taking some family pictures for her cos their photographer had left by the time we came :)

It was fun to sit and chat with Eu the jie meis. I liked that we felt at home and comfortable there. We've all been to Eu's place more than a few times, and we just help ourselves to drinks from the fridge, food from the table, as if it's our own place. A nice casual way to end the formal part of the wedding day :)

Shan & Ben's Wedding

2010-07-03T22:47:00.024+08:00

So the happy day came! Shan got married! And a wonderful match in my opinion :) This was a highly anticipated wedding, and it turned out splendidly. Stunning bride, gorgeous gown, and the flowers were some of the most beautiful I've seen at any wedding. It was literally overflowing with flowers at the wedding ceremony, reception and dinner. Absolutely beautiful orchids! I wish I could fill my house with all those flowers!

The zhuang men was great fun. I mean, how can it not be fun to tekan other people, especially the groomsmen! We had to get creative to overcome the problem of her house not actually having a gate. So we created a spider web for the brothers to carry the groom through. Then they had to show their dancing prowess by following the moves from Beyonce's Single Ladies. And Ben proved himself by knowing most of the answers to the Q&A we had prepared for him.

I think it's easier to let pictures capture the wedding then to actually describe it. So when I get around to uploading them, you can take a look for yourself :)

As an aside, we dressed Asher in a tux we borrowed from Aidan just for fun. We had a trial session the night before and quickly decided that we should dispense with the bow-tie. Asher kept pulling it and letting it snap back on himself, so we thought we'd let him go for the "cool-casual" look, open collar and no tie...more for safety than for anything else :)

I wanna be like Daddy

Ok, time for a break!

Whew, Daddy's work sure is tiring!

Time to go to work!

Always carry tissue, especially if you drool like me.

Or at least have Daddy on hand to wipe it away ;)

Checking out the rain

A little matador

Playing with the fans given out for the ceremony. Peekaboo!

Oh, and one funny (and gross) thing that happened. Asher had a MAJOR poo disaster at the luncheon. As I carried him I could smell something, and my arm felt a bit moist. Concluded that he had a poo, and went to change him. Little did I realise what was waiting for me. Er...without describing every detail, his pants were completely soiled and so were his shoes... I literally stripped him down and showered him in the basin. Thank goodness we had extra clothes and sandals! This is him after the shower :)

Toddler Class

2010-07-01T23:54:00.035+08:00

Haven't updated much on Asher's childcare. He's been transferred to the Toddler Class since he was 18 months old and though the initial transition had its share of hurdles, he now thoroughly enjoys school. I think it really helps that he had four other friends who transferred at the same time - the largest batch to transfer together I think. One of them has since left, but he still remembers her and often mentions her name. Guess they do make friends young!

He gets more outdoor time now - once a day when the weather is fine - and water play on Wednesday. Then there's more story time and art, two activities he really enjoys. But there's still plenty of free play for the kids to just be themselves. Sometimes I literally have to drag him away from school to go home. But, it's comforting for me to know that he's having a good time even though I'm unable to be with him. And he really likes his friends. At home he sometimes picks up my mobile phone and pretends to call them to ask them to go outdoors or just say hello. It's very cute to watch :)

And this boy, don't know whether its cos he's generally quite observant, or cos his mummy loves shoes so much, but he can recognise all his friends' shoes when they're on the shoe rack (there are names, but he can't read, I don't think). I think he really knows which shoe belongs to which friend because when the shoes are sometimes placed in the wrong cubby, he still knows who it belongs to (I have started to recognise them too). Quite entertaining.

Anyway, just some pics I snapped the other day.

Happy at tea time

Changing tables to sit next to his good friend, Charlotte, who told him "Asher, eat!"

He actually listened! He didn't want to eat it before when he was sitting at the other table. Or maybe it was just the sociable thing to do? Who knows what he's thinking.

Evidence of his snacking

Doing a spontaneous dance

More dancing. Looks like he was trying to do a grand battement (ballet high kick)!

Milk break at the carpark downstairs

Off to the supermarket for a spot of grocery shopping. My little helper, or "Captain" as I call him when he's in the trolley. He likes to help put (or throw) stuff into the trolley. I find that when he's helped to buy the food (fruit especially), he's more likely to want to eat it.

Underwater World

2010-06-28T00:58:00.091+08:00

I was supposed to bring Asher to watch the PLAYtime performance called The Magic Ocean, but didn't manage to get tickets (it's a long story). I felt bad though, cos I had been building the anticipation for a few weeks by telling Asher about the performance. And especially that morning itself, I was promising to bring Asher to see lots of fish and sharks and jellyfish. He kept repeating, "See shark! See fish! See turtle!"

So when I found that the tickets I thought I had were not to be, I was very disappointed, and was thinking of how to not disappoint Asher as well. Thanks to a great suggestion by a colleague of mine, I decided to bring Asher to the Underwater World! What a wonderful idea, and I duly thanked my colleague lots the next day.

Asher had a terrific time I think! And it was more fish than I could have imagined Asher seeing. Real ones too! As it was a weekday it was fairly uncrowded, but we got there quite late, around 4pm, so we missed many of the shows already. Still, we managed to catch the seal show, which he seemed to enjoy. Not sure if he realises the seals at the underwater world are different from the ones we saw at Philip Island. I explained the difference between fur seals and seals, but not sure if he really remembers :)

Asher tried touching the starfish and stingrays at the touchpool, but his arms weren't quite long enough to dip all the way into the water, and I feared that if he leaned in any more, he'd end up as part of the exhibit. So moved on to look at the other fish on display.

Then of course there's the famous glass (acrylic?) tunnel enclosure that we went round and round in. Lots of fishes! Nurse sharks, leopard sharks, black-tipped sharks, groupers, whiptail stingrays, leopard stingrays, pirahnas, angel fish, etc etc etc!

Other exhibits included the leafy sea dragon which I liked very much, jelly fish, and fishes found in coral reefs.

All in all it was an excellent outing, with lots of memories for Asher. I got the Submarine Value Package which gives you access to the oceanarium for two visits, and a discount voucher for another ticket, which I intend to use for Jon. I'm sure Asher won't mind going again, and maybe next time, we can bring Baby! Baby? Yes, another one of those things I haven't gotten around to writing about yet :) More info next time.

Checking out the different types of stingrays at the ray feeding area

Seal show

Leafy sea dragons

A whiptail stingray over our heads!

Humongous grouper that doesn't quite look so big here, altho this shot looks like it wants to eat Asher, which...if he was inside I'm not sure won't happen

Funny dugong which liked 'standing' on its head

Pretty jellyfish

Breezy Poliwoggy Day

2010-06-16T00:06:00.046+08:00

Brought Asher to Poliwogs at East Coast again for an afternoon runabout. It was a rainy day and he missed his outdoor time in school, plus it had been a while since we went to the playground cos of the rain, so thought Poliwogs was a much needed treat. He took an interest in different things this time around, but the one constant was the attraction to all the colourful balls :)

My favourite part of the outing was after we left Poliwogs though, when we sat on a bench by the sea to enjoy the breeze. It was so enjoyable we did that again after dinner. The sea breeze was beautiful, the air cool, and there were plenty of things to look at - boats, ships, airplanes, bodyboard surfers (if that's what they're called). He just sat on my lap, and we enjoyed the place.

Dinner was at Waraku, and boy, was it worth it. Not only did Asher eat quite well (we shared a ten don), the waitresses had time to play with him cos it wasn't too crowded, AND, they gave him a couple of toys! I had actually thought they were just lending them to us for the duration of dinner, but when I returned them they told me the toys were for Asher to keep! Asher really likes the digger, but the red robot I've kept away cos it's not really meant for his age now. But I had some fun playing with it and reliving my childhood haha..it's got two buttons to blow bubbles to push little rings up in the water, and the aim is to try to get the rings onto two 'poles'. Haven't seen this game in the longest time. Anyway, I don't really buy a whole lot of toys for Asher, so it was a welcome addition to have another vehicle for him to play with :) Waraku is super kid friendly, I'll definitely go back again.

As a side note, it appears Asher likes Lady Gaga. He was bobbing to her tracks all through dinner haha :) Looks like she's got all age groups hooked on her music. I recently heard an elderly person humming one of the songs from her album :)

SAM Art Garden

2010-06-09T16:43:00.101+08:00

For one of our afternoon outings I decided to bring Asher to check out the Singapore Art Museum's children's exhibition. I had asked Asher if he wanted to go to the park (Botanical Gardens) or go see a big white rabbit. He chose the rabbit, so off we went!

It took much longer than expected to get there, and as it turns out, it was the day that the tree fell in front of the Istana, forcing the Orchard road traffic to squeeze into 1 or 2 lanes. But we got there eventually, and it was well worth it.

The place was empty cos it was a weekday afternoon, so we had most of the place to ourselves :) First up, Walter's Garden. It's filled with lots of green tetrahedron cushions, and Asher had a good time arranging and placing them exactly as he liked. He was quite particular, this cushion had to sit just so, that cushion had to be at that angle. This green here, that green there; big one here, small one there. Touch any of them and he would protest. Watching him made me think of an installation artist at work haha. Maybe, maybe? Next time? Who knows!

Carefully transporting the cushions to fit into his piece of installation art. He had arranged all the cushions in the picture below.

Further refinements. An artist's work is never done ;)

Yes, he had so much fun I literally had to draaagg him away from the place lest we end up only seeing that bit of the exhibition. Next, the Floribots! These were very intriguing. The room was filled with these paper flowers on retractable stems that grew/un-grew (if there's such a thing) in front of your eyes. Asher was entralled, and stood still watching the flowers in action. Didn't quite realise that the movements in the room affect how the flowers grew, but apparently there are motion detectors that calibrate the pattern of growth of the Floribots.

There was a little corner with some origami paper for children to fold their own paper flowers, so we had a go at it. I folded the paper over, and Asher helped to press down the fold to make the crease. Here he is with his orange flower, which he clung onto for the rest of the visit :) This boy really likes flowers.

Actually folding the flower also brought back childhood memories of how we used to fold the 'chatterbox', but anyway.

We then headed to see the Enchanted Forest. Half the room was illustrated with colourful pictures of a forest filled with characters from all sorts of fairy tales and nursery rhymes, including an appearance by the Merlion. My favourite bit? The dish and the spoon! Here they were having a picnic, there they were going for a walk in the forest, it was adorable :)

Doing some colouring before we explored the forest

There's my dish and spoon!

Asher then displayed more installation art inclinations. This is actually one of the things he always enjoys doing when we're at houses with stools - arranging them into some pattern or other :) Here he goes with the IKEA stools. The caretakers were quite amused, as was I :) How fitting to be doing such things in an art museum heh.

Getting ready to jump 'into' the pond :)

But the best exhibits had to be the Funky Forest and Daisies. I think I can safely say that those were Asher's favourite parts of the visit, and mine too. There were two interactive media displays that respond to the movements of visitors. The Funky Forest was the one where if you stood along the edge of the wall, a tree would start to grow in front of the spot you were standing at. It was fun growing trees, but that wasn't all. You had to keep them alive! There was an image of a waterfall flowing down one side of a wall, then becoming a river on the ground. You had to divert water to the trees to water them so that they would thrive. How to do that? It was, for lack of a better word, just so cool! If you kick the 'river' in the direction of your tree, some water would flow there. You could permanently divert the river using a 'log' (a cushion) to keep your tree constantly watered.

How cool is that? An image of a river that responds to your actions! If you jumped on the river, there would be a splash and water would 'splash' outwards. You could kick the water about to create some serious virtual water chaos. And the most intriguing bit, I really couldn't figure out how it was done. There didnt appear to be visible sensors around. The ground and wall were just regular concrete. How did they do it??

Growing trees

See another tree just starting to sprout from where Asher's standing? And see how the water was diverted to the fully grown tree! Amazing!

SPLASH!!

At the other end of the room was Daisies. It was a bed of white flowers on the ground, but when you ran over them, they disappeared, and after a short while would start to grow back again. It was fun running all around with Asher trying to make all the flowers disappear, but it was impossible cos the flowers grew back too quickly. I can't remember whether I heard it or read it there, but apparently the piece was supposed to illustrate how fragile nature is and how easily it is destroyed. But actually, the sense I got was more of the enduring resiliance of nature. No matter how much you trample over it, it will grow back again. It felt hopeful.

But anyway, it was great that it was so empty cos Asher could run from Funky Forest to the Daisies over and over to his hearts content, and I didn't have to follow him so closely.

We said our goodbyes to Walter who was visible from every floor, and headed home for a much needed dinner :)

Bubble Corridor

2010-06-03T16:41:00.014+08:00

The great thing about having neighbours with kids about the same age as yours...a natural playgroup! We've lately started to have bubble playing sessions in the lift lobby. It's great! We can blow as many bubbles as we please without worrying about having to clean the house! :) And more kids mean more excitement when playing with bubbles :) So, hooray for HDB living!

Bubbles galore! My neighbour has the automatic bubble blower thingy.

Asher trying to jump and catch the bubbles

The kids chasing the bubbles all around

Doughing It the Second Time Around

2010-06-03T16:35:00.038+08:00

Asher wasn't too keen on dough the first time we played with it. Suspecting that it was because it was too wet, I tried again, this time being careful to mix just a little water each time such that the end result was quite dry.

Helping to mix the flour and water

Kneading the dough

Shaping the dough (well, I did the shaping, he told me what to make)

Decided to bake the dough to set it so that he could paint them. He really enjoyed this second bit.

Dog, man (was supposed to be 'Daddy', but it looks so unflattering I just called him 'man'), fish, and a poor rendition of Ernie (think the ears should have been more to the side, but anyway, they fell off after a while and he became Elmo)

Master Nair at work

Getting more paint on his brush

Yellow fish

Yellow everything else. When everything was painted, he decided to paint the newspapers!

Thoroughly engrossed in his art work

An out-of-point remark - his eyelashes are so long! *jealous*

It was a successful session I think, and when I've time we'll try it again with a different colour or two :)

Cheeky Chimps

2010-05-30T16:30:00.016+08:00

Now, aren't the little ones just adorable?? :))

Hanging out

Newest addition to the family

Swwwiiinnngggg

Checking baby's foot for bugs

Vesak Day Picnic @ Botanic Gardens

2010-05-28T16:16:00.120+08:00

I love public holidays. I doubt anyone will disagree with me. Public holidays mean Jon's on leave. It means we have a day outside of our usual weekend routines. It means a day for special plans!

The plan? Picnic at the Botanic Gardens with my parents and Aidan :) I'm sure I've said this a million times, I love the Botanic Gardens! And what a perfect day to go. It was breezy, sunny, but a little cloudy so it wasn't too hot. It wasn't that humid too. Clearly many families had the same idea cos the Palm Valley was quite crowded.

And there was something funny about the valley that day. It was covered with little bits of white, almost as if someone had torn tissue paper and thrown it all around. But it couldn't have been cos there was just so much of the tissue-like white stuff. Then Papa solved the great white-fluff mystery. The cotton tree's pods had burst open! The field was covered with cotton! I've never actually seen cotton fresh off a tree before. I feels so soft, like wool but without the oily feel. Yes, yes, I know that's why they call it cotton wool...but this felt more wool-like than cotton wool.

Can you see the cotton on the field?

Papa bringing Asher for a walk to look at the fishes

A picnic has to have food. What did we bring? KFC breakfasts! Convenient, no need to prepare anything, and I like the wraps, but it always feels like they're finished too soon. Hmm..

The cosy party

Happily munching away on Cheerios

There was a little yellow butterfly that seemed to like my father very much. It keep settling on him much to our amusement. And Asher was most fascinated with the little creature.

Asher poked it here and left a bit of the, I don't know what you call it, the powdery stuff from a butterfly, on my Dad's shirt.

It was then quite cute to see Asher take a piece of tissue paper nearby and proceed to wipe the spot!

This was voluntary. No forced child labour here!! And how shiok for my father!!

Back from the boys walk. My mum and I lazed on the mat while they strolled off somewhere.

Being pampered by his Nai Nai. Aidan was quite hot cos it was getting warmer.

He ain't heavy, he's my grandson

Daddy and Son

Since the boys came back from their walk, my mum and I decided to bring the little boys for another walk, but this time on their strollers. We came across this lovely area of hanging red ivy which the boys loved. It was intriguing and I was quite fascinated too. It was fun to walk through the ivy again and again (and again). Thought it was very interesting that they did this 'display'.

Where's Por Por/ Nai Nai?

Asher was so contented and tired out by noon that he actually fell asleep while being rolled back to the car in his stroller! That hardly ever happens! Has it ever? I can't remember the last time it did!! We should soo do this again.

Heather

2010-05-23T16:08:00.060+08:00

Meet the latest member of the Quah family! Heather Quah arrived on 18 May, making my brother a proud father of two :) Didn't manage to see her when she was first delivered cos I was ill and didn't want to spread the germs. It was only a week later that Asher and I paid her a visit at home.

I've forgotten how small and fragile newborns are, and honestly I was a little bit hesitent to carry her cos I'm so used to how I can just not think too much and pick Asher up and swing him around.

Sweet little Heather

We went in the afternoon to say hi, then left to meet my friends, but went back again for dinner. My aunts came over to see Heather too. Cos Aidan was still out, Asher helped himself to all of Aidan's toys. Cooking up a storm with the masak masak, pushing Thomas around, getting acquainted with Chuggington, stacking wooden blocks, playing with a schoolhouse toy, etc. But once Aidan was back they had a nice time pushing each other on the riding toy. Aidan's so strong he can even steer Asher while Asher's sitting on the toy!

Everyone made sure to give Aidan enough attention so that he wouldn't feel neglected. And I think he was very much indulged that day with a lovely outing with his grandpa, great-grandma and uncle :) Then the aunties, grandaunt, and great-grandaunt were playing with him when he came home. No shortage of attention that day :)

Riding around the house

Who's steering??

Sleepy Batty

2010-05-15T16:33:00.016+08:00

Now how often do you get to see something like this? A little fruit bat flew into my FIL's house the other day, and was so sleepy (cos it was daytime) that all he wanted to do was to find a little corner to sleep.

Asher was intrigued for a while and patted the little fella (under great supervision, lest he squash the poor bat who's really quite fragile), but since the bat wasn't that responsive, Asher quickly lost interest.

In the end he curled up and kiao kar-ed in the rim of an up-turned plastic tub :) Quite a cosy and safe spot to sleep in.

Cook. Eat. Play.

2010-05-11T18:59:00.091+08:00

Popped over to LMG's place for a play date. Asher hasn't met Austin in a while, so we thought it would be nice for the kiddos to meet up again. How different this play date was from the previous occasions! They were speaking and interacting a whole lot more! I thought that you could genuinely see that they enjoyed themselves. Between pretending to be chefs and cooking up a storm, sliding down Austin's personal slide, stacking blocks, and playing at the piano, the two boys shared many laughs and a couple of hugs to boot. And they found time to eat too. Watermelon to their heart's content and a yummy concoction of mashed potato with cheese.

Sharing recipes?

Sharing hugs

Playing with some of the many toys

Catching!

Checking out the very heavy rain

More hugs :)

Duet!

I loved seeing them jabber away and play with one another. It really was so different from that first play date they had last year! They've grown and, honestly, they've become much more fun :) I love this age! There may be lots of other issues that accompany their budding independence, but all-in-all, I'm lovin' it. I guess as one of the characters in the movie The Back-Up Plan said, "it [can sometimes be] awful, awful, awful, and then, something amazing happens, then it's awful, awful, awful, then something amazing happens again" (additions in brackets mine). He ended by saying something along the lines of how it's all worth it. I know, I know, how many times have we heard that line. But I think it rings true.

I notice that I keep reminiscing about how Asher was like when he was younger. I guess I'm just amazed at the changes, amazed at how quickly children develop, how quickly he's growing up, and how I want to treasure not only the present moment, but all the special moments before that led to now. He may just be 18-mths plus, but there may come a day when "Mama/Mummy" won't be the first person he'll call to for comfort/help/etc. He may not need me like he does now. So I'm just gonna treasure all this while it lasts :)

Marina Bay Sands

2010-04-30T18:34:00.056+08:00

Infantcare was closed, so I took the day off and brought Asher out. Thought it might be fun to check out The Helix and Marina Bay Sands since they were both recently opened.

I must say though, I was very disappointed with the experience. I felt that the bridge wasn't as impressive as all the hype made it out to be. It looks better from the outside. From the inside it's a mass of metal and glass that blocks the view of the bay, and doesn't provide much shade too. Being a really hot day, I almost felt like it was hotter under the bridge cos of all the heat absorbed by the metal. I was looking forward to the air-conditioning of the IR.

But when we got there, although it felt cooler at the casino side, I remember there was a distinct difference in temperature once at the shopping area. And, I felt like I was choking on sand. No wonder it's called Marina Bay SANDS. Imagine, it's indoors, but you can feel yourself breathing in sandy air. I felt like I had to take Asher out o there soon! Surely can't be good for the little boy.

The place doesn't look like it'a ready to be opened, many of the stores were still boarded up, and their so-called food court was just a few stalls located in a large multi-purpose hall. Feels like they just opened the space to meet the minimum requirement. Given all the poor reviews I've heard since my visit (I've not heard a single positive review, except for the occasional positive spin in the media), I really hope they get their act together for their phase 2 opening.

I probably won't be going back there any time soon - no reason to!

Looks better in photos. Ignores all the construction going on.

Walking The Helix

Some stilt walkers to provide a photo op for tourists, and to make the utterly dull shopping area a little, little bit more lively. Even then, they were just standing around, not really engaging the crowd.

Oh How He's Grown

2010-04-30T18:04:00.001+08:00

Saw Asher standing by the window the other day, and was just struck by how much he has grown. And I had a sentimental flutter run through me as I remembered a similar moment about one year ago. How quickly time passes, and how quickly he grows :)

Birthday on the Wild Side

2010-04-24T17:48:00.073+08:00

It was Asher's first theme party. Jo Claire turned one, and Jo and Joe threw an animal themed party. So Asher turned up as a penguin (well, just the picture of one on his romper. I had no time to go do anything elaborate), and Jon and I wore the Esso tiger tails :) Yes, that was our uncoordinated family. A pair of tigers gave birth to a penguin!?! I had grand plans for coordinating a penguin outfit for each of us, but it remained as just that - a plan.

But I guess most families formed strange animal sets. Joe was a cow (complete with udders! His greeting to everyone, "milk?"), Claire was a pink leopard, while Joanne was...a human, heh :)

There were lots of kids who all made themselves at home in Claire's play area, Asher included. He ran to show me a pillow around his neck, disappeared, came back with rings on his arms, disappeared again, came back with some rattle thing, and the process repeated itself over and over.

Even the cake was animal themed! The children clustered around Joanne as she cut the cake, and they were saying which animal they wanted to have.

The Moks

Asher and the birthday girl

Eyeing the animal cupcakes (and wine?)

Rissy and Asher

It's always nice catching up with old friends, and I remember the food was yummy (gimme sambal prawns any day!). I also made the interesting discovery that Asher is ok with mildly spicy food. He shared some of my mee siam goreng and was able to take it, almost oblivious to its spiciness! Maybe it's cos I eat so much spicy food, he got used to it in the womb, and maybe even my breastmilk was spicy? I have no idea.

Anyway, happy birthday Claire!

Coco Loco

2010-04-22T15:49:00.014+08:00

Another afternoon by the beach digging, and this time, burying!

Found a coconut and he decided to bury it (well, cover it with sand)

Putting the finishing touches

Tada! "Where??" (With arms up in a questioning way)

Viva la Vivo

2010-04-20T22:30:00.001+08:00

Went to Vivo to run some errands, and in the end Asher had a splashing good time at the outdoor play area on the second floor! It's a lovely place, and though it's not super big, and some of the equipment is too advanced for Asher, the water fountain was enough to provide him lots of amusement!

It was completely unplanned, but I decided, "what the heck, he really looks like he wants to play, I have a small face towel which should do to dry him up, and I have an extra set of clothes plus diapers." So...off he went, happily getting himself soaking wet!

I'm definitely going to bring him there again, but this time, I'm bringing a proper towel!

He didn't realise at first that the fountain changes the height it spurts out at, and at one point it splashed right into chest :) He just sputtered a bit, then continued splashing around.

There's a more tame side where the water flows gently, and a wilder side where the water spurts out higher and faster. Asher seems to prefer to live on the wild side of things, and that's when he really started getting soaked as he tried to run under the jets, but kept bumping into the lower ones :)

Random Photos

2010-04-15T23:52:00.003+08:00

Some random pictures from the last few weeks.

Bringing all his soft toys for a car ride. It started with one, then two, then he decided to not leave anyone out and piled them all onto his ride and brought them for a spin around the living room :)

Trying to start a trend with his very strange hat :)

'Splashing' water on grandpa!

Me and my Meiji. He loves it!

And I love these small bottles. They're super handy when we're out!

Aidan sharing his stroller with Asher, but reminding Asher that he has the good front seat by kicking him every now and then :) I'd probably do the same if I were him! And Asher was oblivious to the action. Maybe he thought that's how these strollers work. Free massage? :)

Ro-ma-Roma-ras

2010-04-11T21:35:00.002+08:00

Tony Romas always satisfies. Coming on the heels of a bad dinner at Applebees, we appreciated the good food all the more. It's still number one on the HungryGoWhere list for ribs, and I heartily agree!

We were there to celebrate my mum's birthday. Tony Romas featured new items on their menu, and we just had to try the Spinach Artichoke dip to compare with Applebees, and my, it won hands down! It was much more flavourful, creamy and addictive. The Bourbon BBQ and Chiptle Beer were very interesting new sauces for their Ribs. I liked them both, though I think I prefer the Bourbon BBQ a little more.

The two cousins also had a yummy feast there! They shared a ribs & fish main course - and finished it! Asher particularly enjoyed munching on the corn-on-the-cob - his latest favourite food.

After dinner action was great fun! The two little boys had a great time playing together - if their laughter and squeals of delight are anything to go by :) One of the funny moments was when Aidan was at one end of a pond, and Asher at another. They were staring through the glass to look at the water when they saw each other, laughed, then both started to try and make their way to each other. There was a pillar at the corner, and when they rounded the corner, the both burst out laughing and started to run away, thinking the other was playing peekaboo with him :O)

At the Orchard Hotel lobby, it was adorable to watch them follow the lines on the ground and go "choo choo" as if they were trains :) Round and round and round they went - was tiring for us parents having to keep up with them! It was great to see them really playing with each other. For the longest time they were mostly playing alongside one another, but now they learn funny 'words' from one another, and follow each other's actions.

Asher didn't want to stop, and as you can see from this series of pictures, he kept trying to escape to run around some more :)

"I want to break free!"

Ok, ok, one photo

Alright, that's enough now, time for me to go!

See Asher's cheeky smile as he slides off my lap

More photos???

I'm outta here!

Got Juice?

2010-04-10T23:37:00.002+08:00

Asher stole a sip of orange juice from my cup, and ended up paying homage to the 'got milk?' campaign! :) Showed him his reflection in the mirror and he was so tickled! After I wiped off his first moustache, he pointed to the cup for a another sip, then pointed to the mirror to look at himself again! Hilarious!

Then when I got the orange juice moustache as well he leaned back and gave me this adorably funny grin :) Here's the two of us with juice uppers. Somehow, his just turned out so much better!

A Bee Disappointing. A Great Date Night

2010-04-09T01:20:00.000+08:00

It was date night for us! My parents took care of Asher, so we had a night out in town! We decided on something we've always enjoyed, but don't get to do much of nowadays - dinner and a movie.

Our show was at Cineleisure, and Jon noticed that there was an Applebee's nearby. Applebee's is special to us cos it was where we dined together the first night I was in New York when I visited Jon during our exchange. We remember fondly the great food and the excellent signature dessert Apple Chimi Cheesecake. I still remember that we sat by a window and watched the snow fall as we ate.

BUT. The Singapore Applebees is such a poor imitation of the real thing. It was an absolute disappointment. First, they don't even have that famous Chimi Cheesecake. Jon asked the waiter about it, and he just gave us this blur look. Then the service was really not up to scratch. We asked for two glasses of warm water as we began our meal, but they only came near our final bites and after many reminders, plus a beverage mix-up. They somehow thought we meant two bottles of Hoegaarden?!?! Twice!

Then the food. Oh. Gosh. A classic case of misrepresentation. I didn't have a camera with me, but it's probably not worth taking pictures of anyway. I ordered the ribeye with parmesan shrimp. In the picture it showed a steak an inch thick with a lovely yellow cheesy sauce drizzled over succulent prawns. I know one shouldn't trust the pictures in the menu. But really. At least try to live up to it. The steak that came was hardly even 1cm thick!! I had asked for medium-rare. How can you possibly medium-rare a 1cm steak?? It came rare. Bloodly and uncooked. I told the waiter I wanted it cooked a little more, and reminded I prefered medium-rare. They took it away to cook some more, but Jon and I gave each other looks which communicated that we knew they were probably gonna just cook it right through. Seriously, but the time you sear the meat enough, the insides would be all cooked! And as we predicted, it came out well done. In terms of taste, I honestly prefer the steak the Western stall at Redhill market sells. It's probably the same, or thicker, than the Applebee's steak too. And it only costs $6. The Applebee's dish was $39++! If it came out as it looked in the menu, and tasted better than it did, it would probably have been a fair price. But for that, it's wayyy expensive!

And I haven't even talked about the quite uncheesy sauce, the small and over-cooked shrimp, the over-singed vegetables, and the overly big serving but underwhelming mashed potatoes. I had just made a some mash the night before at home, and I think even that tasted better!

Jon's starter trio was a lot smaller than expected. And to compensate, they gave a huge serving of much too salty tortilla chips. Thing is, the tortilla chips were meant for dipping into their spinach and artichoke sauce. But then...there just wasn't enough sauce for all that tortilla.

Then there's the image mismatch. Applebee's calls itself a 'neighbourhood grill and bar', but they served up the steak and starters on dainty rectangular plates. I guess it's a difference of opinion, but I think that a more appropriate way to serve everything would have been on thick heavy round plates, diner style. Plus, the big plate just served to accentuate how small the starter trio was.

The bill came up to $89, and for what we had, it was definitely overpriced.

As we walked around 313 Orchard, we found ourselves repeating as we passed each cafe/bistro/restaurant, "the food is probably better and cheaper in here!"

Anyway, the night certainly took a turn for the better with the movie Date Night (how appropriate huh?). Maybe it's cos the issues are salient, we had SUCH a good laugh in the theatre. I absolutely loved the show :) Haven't laughed so hard for a long time. Perfect for a relaxing and light-hearted night out! I shan't spoil the plot. I shall just say that if you have kids and have been married for a while, this is a good show to watch. And by the volume of the laughter from the rest of the audience, and looking at the demographic, I don't even think being married or being parents is a prerequisite to enjoying the show. So I thoroughly disagree with the review in the Business Times that the show was a dud. Perhaps the guy is a real grouch. So there.

Home & Decor

2010-04-05T22:46:00.001+08:00

We've started doing some art at home occasionally for the last month, and Asher seems to enjoy himself most of the time. He's ok with drawing and painting, but he showed a marked dislike for dough play. Tried to use homemade 'recipes' for these things cos I wanted to make sure that he'll be fine if he ate the stuff. Thanks, A, for the inspiration!

The dough playing session started out fine enough. He was intrigued with the lightness of the flour and interested in the way it changed texture when water was added. Initially he didn't mind getting his hands into the stuff, but then he decided it was much too sticky for his liking (think I had added too much water), and started trying to flick all of it off, with the fine result of coating the floor (and me) with dough bits. Thank goodness I have tiled flooring! Will definitely try this again, but gotta make sure the dough doesn't get too sticky for his liking!

Hmm...in-te-res-ting...

Get it off me!!

Painting went much better. He enjoyed using his hands to spread the coffee paint (essentially coffee without sugar for a brown colour) and blueberry paint (crushed blueberries and some corn starch with water for a pink/purple colour) on paper, and attempting to make hand prints. He eventually decided to use the spoon I had used to mix the paints up as a brush, before reverting to the use of his hands. In the midst of all this he had also found amusement in mixing the colours together, which resulted in everything turning brown! But at least there was no mess on the floor :)

Drawing with crayons was the easiest logistically (thank goodness for washable crayons!), and had the prettiest results. He got to chose from many colours and it's easy to scribble clearly.

I've now put up his artwork at the corner where his play area is. Had read somewhere that they deserve the satisfaction of seeing their work being displayed. Don't know how true that is, but it sure gives me satisfaction hahaha :) It's probably true that the mummies appreciate their children's art the most. To me, they really are masterpieces for keeps! (Though for the coffee painting...I'm not sure...will it grow moudly??)

Because He Lives!

2010-04-04T11:34:00.000+08:00

Was thinking of this song all day on Sunday :)

Because He Lives

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

And then one day, I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to vict'ry,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

No Go Bambini

2010-03-19T23:38:00.003+08:00

It's been quite rainy lately, and I decided to bring Asher to Go-Go-Bambini at Dempsey to check out the place. It's also an indoor playground like Polliwogs, and since we had such a good time at Polliwogs, I was hoping for the same at Go-Go-Bambini which had the added benefit of being nearer to our house.

Asher still had fun running around, but think he had a better time at Polliwogs cos he had more space to run and I didn't have to hold him back quite so often. The problem is that while Go-Go-Bambini is a small place, it tries to squeeze in as much equipment as possible, with the result that you end up feeling quite cramped. The obstacles were also not as toddler friendly. The ramps were steeper, the ball pits had walls that you could climb, so many older kids would climb up and blindly jump back into the pit without looking at what or who they are jumping on. Most dangerous for babies and toddlers! There was in fact a lady with a baby constantly yelling out to the kids there to watch where they were jumping onto, but they didn't heed her calls at all. The kids were also forcefully throwing balls all over the place, and I took several hits for Asher. Some of the obstacles definitely cannot be navigated by toddlers alone, for example a series of sponge columns to climb onto to get through a hole in the ceiling. In general there were less toddler friendly options than Polliwogs.

Also, I suppose cos it was at Dempsey, a more central location, it was wayyy more crowded - adding to the already cramped conditions. Then throw in the demographic of older kids who tended to push and shove more, and you have an environment not entirely suited to babies and toddlers.

It's not that Go-Go-Bambini isn't a good place, I just think it isn't so ideal for babies and toddlers. It's great for children who can run around unsupervised. So until Asher reaches that stage, I don't think I'll be going back there for a while.

Two Days of Play

2010-03-09T17:27:00.004+08:00

We had two back-to-back days of fun with Emma and Josiah at East Coast. It's been a while since the trio met, so we arranged for an afternoon at Poiliw ogs, an indoor playground. It's a great place for kids to explore and have a good run-around, and is suitable for toddlers too. Asher had so much fun in the ball pits, with the slides, the obstacles, the punching bags, the ramps, etc.

I must say, though, that it's not just the kids who get a good workout, the parents do too! The play area is quite large, and the play structure is three storey high. However, to accomodate three stories in that building, the height of each floor isn't that high. So if you are more than a metre tall, you basically have to run about hunched over or crawl around after your kid :) I could feel a slight ache at the end of the day, but, it's still great fun! Sure beats going to the gym :O)

A slide going straight into the ball pit!

Many obstacles to clumb over and walk through

There's a play area for younger kids too so that they don't get trampled on. But Asher and Emma were happy to be running around the more challenging sections :)

We met Jo and Josiah at MacCafe for a drink and traded our latest stories of motherhood while the little ones snacked on muffins. It was actually quite difficult to remove Asher from Polliwogs cos he was having so much fun! He kept wanting to go back into the play area even though you could see from unsteady walking he was tired! The funny thing was, the more tired he got, the more deliriously happy and laughy he became! It was hilarious to watch!

Anyway, by the end of the day we had agreed to meet up again the following afternoon to let the children meet up for a time of sand play.

Asher and I got the first and laid out the mat and started digging the sand. Emma was next, and she decided it was best to store up energy for playtime, and started the session with a nap :) Good thinking, since there was so much running around to do! By the time Josiah arrived, Emma was up and already starting to fill her bucket with sand :)

What an unexpectedly large beach party we had! :) Turns out most of hubbies could come, and Emma's uncle and grandparents too! Re nao is the best way to describe it! There was sand digging, bucket filling, sand mound making, sea shell collecting, kite flying, dog watching, and snack eating to do! Seriously, who said kids are free?

Anya's Turns One

2010-03-06T22:43:00.003+08:00

Anya celebrated her first birthday with a big bang at Scrumptious Cafe. We got there a little late and the other kids had already started playing at the play area attached to the cafe. It's equipped with a trampoline, a rock wall, and a modest collection of toys and books.

Anya had the most gorgeous cake in the classic shape of a number 1. It was really one of the prettiest cakes I've ever seen and suited the occasion to a T! There were girlish butterflies, sweet flowers, and other pretty designs. Made cutting the cake seem a bit of a pity, but after tasting it, yum! Who cared about the design anymore :)

I think my favourite part of the party was watching the three cousins interact. It's always hilarious to see the results of what happens when we put the three of them together. But it was also sweet, because it had been a long time since all three were in the same place at the same time. I think the last time was at Asher's birthday.

Anyway, time really flies. It really doesn't seem so long ago that Anya was born. I guess I forget that as Asher grows, so do the other babies around him :)

Well, I'm sure she had a great time on her birthday. With lots of cake, lots of friends, and lots of love, what's not to enjoy? :)

Gimme, gimme, it looks yummy! :)

Mmmm...yum! It is great!

More, more!

Asher giving his dear cousin a birthday 'blessing' :)

Phillip Island

2010-02-28T01:42:00.002+08:00

Our last leg of the trip was planned mainly for Asher's enjoyment. Phillip Island has many toddler-friendly attractions that Asher could appreciate since he's much more aware now. We thought it'd be great if he could see some of the animals he'd seen in pictures come to life. Phillip Island boasts penguins, seals, koalas, cows, sheep, chickens, roosters, Clydesdale horses, turkeys, Scottish long-horn cattle, peacocks, kookaburras, galahs, magpies, wallabies, and kangaroos, among others. Asher got to see all of the above except the last two, while we had the bonus of seeing wild wallabies hop across the road (Asher was asleep in the car then).

Our apartment was a standalone cabin, cosy and clean, set on an outback style Wistaria Lane. The All Seasons Eco Resort is fairly new, and prides itself on it's ecologically sound building and contruction philosophy, and an ecologially sustainable design. It's a very pleasant place to stay, and if we ever go back to Phillip Island, I might well stay there again.

Here're some pics from the various places we went to on the island!

Penguin Parade

No photos allowed inside cos they're afraid the penguins would be traumatised and hurt by the bright flashes. But I sneaked a picture of Jon and Asher before the penguins made their way to the shore. Asher was very happy cos initially there were a lot of seagulls flying low in front of him, and then of course there were the penguins. The penguins come right up to the board walk, so he had a clear view of them waddling home. It was molting season so some penguins had eaten tons to store up energy while their fur molted. Those penguins were so adorably fat! And because of their added weight were particularly amusing to watch cos they'd tire easily and have to plop down on their bellies to rest before carrying on for another few metres, then plop down to rest again :) Since that night, say "penguin" and Asher will waddle from side-to-side :)

The bonus was the wonderfully clear night sky that showed off the Milky Way in all it's beautiful splendour! You could actually see all the stars clustered into a 'stream', instead of how they're usually scattered across the sky. The concentration of stars made the twinkling more intense and magical. We actually got to see this at the Twelve Apostles as well, but Asher was asleep by then. This time he got to appreciate their beauty too!

Anyway, an interesting little sign - check under your car for penguins! Some of the penguins stay quite far inland and sometimes can be found wandering under cars at the carpark as they make their way home.

Breakfast at Mad Cowes the next morning was yummy. I shared pancake and fruit with Asher, while Jon had a decent eggs benedict.

Churchill Island

This is such a great place for kids. It's a small island off Phillip Island, linked by a narrow causeway, and features a working heritage farm. Some of the caretakers were even dressed in period costume. Asher had a ton of fun here petting animals, chasing chickens, running around the lawn, picking wild Dandelions, etc. We dubbed the day "hat day" to entice Asher to wear his cap, and Jon and I donned hats as well to lend credence to the theme. It was necessary anyway, cos the Australian sun can really burn. One of the plastic toys we bought for a friend's kid melted in the car while it was parked in the sun!

Flowers, and more flowers, much to Asher's great joy! The gardens featured many strange and wonderful Australian wildflowers.

Checking out the gentle Clydesdale horses.

Asher chased this family of chickens...then this rooster came out to register his protest

My favourtie bird on the island - the Galah. They are so pretty! A lovely slate grey with a powdery, almost-fushia pink breast.

What are these Scottish long-horned cattle doing here? The original inhabitent was from Scotland and he brought in these cattle as a reminder of home.

The surroundings were so peaceful, it was ideal for a picnic, or in Asher's case, a nap!

A field of lavender

Beautiful day to walk the grounds, enjoy the gardens, and see the heritage buildings

Looking for more Dandelions

A clever invention - a Coolgardie Safe. It's an olden day equivalent of the refridgerator! Moist hessian sides cooled by the blowing wind made the insides cool enough to store butter and meat!

Scrumptious food at the cafe. Pumpkin and spinach quiche with rocket on the side, and homemade patties made from beef got off the farm. Asher had a taste of everything and was most satisfied, I think :)

Seal Cruise

We caught an evening cruise out to Seal Rocks where we literally saw hundreds of seals just chillin on the warm rocks, and some were playfully showing off their stunts in the water. What a sight for Asher! What a sight for us!

Yes, another I'm-so-happy-I've-got-the-Ergo moment. How else to balance baby and yourself on a bobbing boat??

We thought we'd head to another part of island for dinner and decided to check out the highly-rated Foreshore Restaurant at Rhyll. It must be good, since there was even a wedding party there. But somehow the food didn't quite suit our taste. It was ok, a bit overdone. We felt the chefs were trying too hard to make the dishes unique and exotic. It wasn't effortless, and it sometimes didn't seem to gel. We tried the grilled kangaroo, which came with asparagus, drizzled with sweetish plum-like sauce, sweet onion chutney on the side, and a split chilli on cream. Each individual part was ok in itself, but together, we thought it didn't quite add up. The risotto with seared duck was also just so-so. While the duck, which was cooked with orange reduction, was pretty good, the risotto was really nothing to shout about. The scallops were blow-torched, but I wouldn't say to perfection. Perhaps it was just an off night for the restaurant, perhaps Asher was getting sleepy and needed more attention so we couldn't focus as much on the meal so it seemed less good, perhaps our taste buds don't know any better, or perhaps, perhaps, the restaurant is over-rated.

On a brighter note, the evening sky was watercolour perfect!

Asher's babycino at breakfast the next morning. Looks just like a minature version of the real thing, doesn't it? We had just asked for a cup of warm milk, but the staff went the extra mile by frothing it, topping it with chocolate powder and serving it with a marshmallow! But in the end, Asher only got to drink the milk, mummy ate up the choc powder bits :))

Koala Conservation Centre

At this park we got to see koalas up-close in their natural habitat among the gum trees. A boardwalk brings you through the forest of trees where you can spot koalas with the help of some signs. Yep, there are signs pointing out where the koalas are for the day. I was initially surprised, then I realised it was only possible with sleepy animals like koalas. They really don't move that much! :) They are impossibly cute, and I was particuarly amazed at how they could sleep on the branches without falling off, especially since some of them were in really strange positions!

Seriously, how can you not fall when you're sleeping in this position?!??

One of the few koalas awake

Asher really surprised me when he spotted this koala. It was way up in the trees and wasn't even sign-posted! He said, "wan mor!" and pointed up into the trees. I had to search a while before I found it. See if you can spot it yourself in the non-close up picture! (Hint: it's near the middle of the picture next to the thick, curved branch.)

Another one awake!

Bonus of the day - KOOKABURRA! It was my first sighting, and we went on to spot another 2! Finally, I know what the bird in that famous song looks like! Love the eye-shadow.

Our last stop before driving off to the airport was San Remo, just on the otherside of the bridge linking Phillip Island to the mainland. By the time we got there we had just missed the daily pelican feedings and they were swimming home, but there was another unexpected bonus! Wild sting rays! I was so excited to see them I just rushed down to the shore with Asher in my arms, getting my shoes all covered in mud (and these were outing shoes, not the rugged hiking type). But honestly, I didn't care that I was potentially wreaking my shoes, I was just thrilled to see the sting rays, and probably more thrilled than Asher since he doesn't know it's rare to see wild ones! They gracefully glided about very close to the beach and evey now and then flapped their wings above the waterline.

After a fish & chip lunch at the famous fisherman's co-op at San Remo, we were off to the airport to catch our flight. The flight back was good, Asher slept quite soundly and I even managed to watch the animated film, Up. Asher made a new friend on board too - Ashley! So it was Asher and Ashley playing in the bassinet area, sharing biscuits and bread, and watching Tom & Jerry :)

That's our boy, and that's our plane!

Checking out the butterfly on her jacket.

A very packed and satisfying trip. I'm so happy we went!